Thank you, Senator Padilla

When Sen. Padilla of California spoke up at a press conference with Kristi Noem, he was forcibly grabbed, pushed out of the room, wrestled to the ground, and handcuffed—all while identifying himself and peacefully doing his job.

The Trump administration needs to hear from all corners of the country and elected officials from both sides of the aisle that this is intolerable. In calls to Congress and protests in the streets, we will show them that our democracy is stronger than their autocracy.

The Trump administration has manufactured a crisis to justify aggressive federal action in California and even deployment of U.S. military forces on domestic soil.

It's outrageous, in defiance of our rights, liberty, and safety. It is meant to terrorize immigrant communities, criminalize protest, and silence dissent. And Trump is doing all of this while trying to pass his funding bill to take away health care from 16 million people to pay for billionaire tax cuts. 

The Trump administration is bringing violence to all of our cities—and this act by federal agents is an extension of that agenda. It’s clear that the administration won’t allow for any dissent, protest, or scrutiny as it carries out its reckless deportation policies. Handcuffing a sitting United States senator for simply doing his job is another escalation in the attack on all of our civil liberties. This isn’t just about one person’s rights; it’s about all of our rights. 

Sen. Padilla deserves our country’s thanks—for showing up for his constituents and putting his own safety on the line. This shouldn’t be necessary, but the Trump administration has made it clear that we need all leaders—political, civic, religious, cultural, and others—doing what they can to show up for the rights and liberties of us all.

Thank you, Sen. Padilla. We have your back.