WASHINGTON — In response to the forcible removal of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla from a Los Angeles press conference held by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem today, Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, issued the following statement:
“The Trump administration’s forcible removal of Senator Padilla – when he was violently ejected from a public press conference, placed in handcuffs, and pushed to the floor by federal agents for simply asking a question – is as unacceptable as it is un-American. This week alone, we’ve witnessed immigration raids and attacks on protesters, but the assault on the nation’s most senior Latino leader paints a vivid picture of an administration that is increasingly unleashed and behaving like thuggish autocrats.
“Today’s disgraceful actions against Senator Padilla are further proof of a larger intimidation campaign by executive branch officials as they arrest, charge, or detain Members of Congress for doing a core function of their jobs: serving as a check on executive power.
“As part of its larger efforts to undercut our democracy and stifle dissent, the Trump administration continues to attack not only elected officials, but also journalists, universities, judges, union leaders, students, nonprofit organizations, law firms, immigrants, and everyday Americans.
“All Americans must demand accountability and justice on behalf of Senator Padilla and the many others who have been targeted by the Trump administration for exercising their First Amendment right to speak out against this administration’s unconstitutional policies.”
BREAKING
ACLU Statement on Forcible Removal of U.S. Senator Padilla