Washington: American senator Alex Padilla was handcuffed for security during a chaotic press conference on Thursday after he tried to ask a question.
The Democratic legislator was pushed to the ground and retired from the Chamber while the Secretary of National Security, Kristi Noem, talked about immigration protests in Los Angeles.
“I am Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” Padilla said during the press conference where Noem was discussing the protests in Los Angeles about the immigration offensive of President Donald Trump.
“Hands off,” said Padilla, 52, before being expelled from the room.
Padilla, from California, said in a statement that he was forced to the ground and handcuffed for security.
A video posted online showed three agents pushing Padilla to the ground and handcanding his hands behind his back. Reuters could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video.
Noem was talking in Los Angeles, who has seen days of protests against Trump's repression against migrants. The White House has responded by sending the National Guard and Marines of the United States to the city, saying that they would help ensure federal buildings and defend the agents of application of immigration and customs.
DHS in a statement about X accused Padilla of participating in an “disrespectful political theater.”
“Mr. Padilla repeatedly told him to backed down and did not comply with the repeated commands of the officers.
A wave of Democratic senators, and at least one Republican, criticized the handling of Padilla.
“Senator Padilla is a big and tall guy, and seeing how he was handled outside that room is wrong and sick,” said Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski to journalists in the Capitol.
The senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, issued the incident in a speech on the Senate floor.
“I just saw something that made my stomach sick, the abuse of a senator of the United States,” said Schumer. “We need immediate answers to what happened.”
The Republican of the main Senate, John Thune, said he would retain the trial until he knew more about the incident, saying: “We will have an answer. But I want to get the facts and find out exactly what happened before making a comment.”
The incident was not the first time that Trump administration officials arrested democratic officials.
The mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, was arrested and accused of raid on May 9 during a private immigration center. The prosecutors then withdrew those positions, but accused the United States Democratic representative, Lamonica Mciver, to attack and resist the officers who tried to arrest Baraka.
Both have denied irregularities.
