Rep. Ami Bera Condemns Forcible Removal and Handcuffing of Sen. Alex Padilla at DHS Press Conference

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) released the following statement condemning the forcible removal and handcuffing of Senator Alex Padilla during a Department of Homeland Security press conference this afternoon in Los Angeles:

“What happened to Senator Padilla can happen to any American.

“Video footage clearly shows Senator Padilla identifying himself as a sitting United States Senator. He was then pushed into a hallway, forced to the ground, and handcuffed. An officer even blocked his aide from recording the incident.

“Let me be clear: this comes straight from Donald Trump. If we fail to speak out, we risk normalizing these gross abuses of power. Democracies don’t die overnight — they die when people stay silent in the face of escalating authoritarianism.

“I call on my Republican colleagues — especially those who serve alongside Senator Padilla — to condemn this unacceptable use of force. We should all be alarmed by an Administration using force to silence oversight and dissent.”