| "Hands off! I am Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary" California's senior senator asserted, as federal agents roughly forced him out of a briefing room. |
| On a carpeted hallway in the federal building in Westwood, bulletproof vest-wearing agents thrust the senator to the ground on his stomach and cuffed his hands behind his back. All while a staffer filmed. |
| "There's no recording allowed out here," a disembodied voice could be heard repeating, as Padilla's wrists were shoved into the cuffs. Then the image goes dark, as someone — presumably a federal agent — physically blocks the phone camera with his body. |
| The flabbergasting interaction occurred when Padilla, who had been in the building to receive a military briefing, tried to ask a question, interrupting a press conference held by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. |
| Times photographer Luke Johnson was on the scene and captured stunning images. |
The initial video of Padilla's detainment proved explosive |
| Within minutes of being filmed, it began ricocheting through social media with white-hot fury. Democratic leaders blasted Padilla's treatment as not just despicable, but also indicative of a turning point. |
- "If they can handcuff a U.S. Senator for asking a question, imagine what they will do to you," Gov. Gavin Newsom warned.
- "A shameful and stunning abuse of power," declared former Vice President Kamala Harris — whose vacated Senate seat Padilla was initially appointed to.
- "It's looking more and more like a fascist state out there every day," Sen. Elizabeth Warren told Politico.
- "This moment is not just about immigration — it's about who we are as a country and whether dissent will be tolerated or violently suppressed," Rep. Nanette Barragán posted on X.
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Padilla's former roommate says he's not one to raise his voice |
| Padilla is far from a firebrand. |
| Yes, the Pacoima native has had a dazzling ascent through American politics. But he's known for steady discipline and soft-spoken confidence, rather than bombast and showmanship. |
| Padilla, the son of a Mexican-born housekeeper and a short-order cook, trained as an engineer at MIT before entering politics in his 20s. He was elected to L.A. City Council at just 26, then became the body's youngest council president two years later and, eventually, California's first Latino senator. |
| Former Rep. Tony Cárdenas, another Pacoima-bred son of immigrants, has been close to Padilla for decades and the pair shared an apartment together in D.C. |
| "I always joke with my friends that as roommates, I would say the neighbors probably knew what my voice sounded like, but never Alex's. He's not the kind of person who raised his voice," Cárdenas said Thursday, speaking by phone from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as he waited to board a plane back to Los Angeles. |
| "He doesn't get easily excited at all. He's as cool as they come," Cárdenas said. |
| At a news briefing later that day, Mayor Karen Bass expressed astonishment about Padilla's treatment. |
| "In some instances, there's no words," Bass said. "This is a sitting U.S. senator." |
Today's top stories |
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| California National Guard members and police protect the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) |
National Guard troops will stay under Trump's control, for now |
- In a late-night ruling, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals paused a court order that would have required President Trump to return control of thousands of California National Guard troops in Los Angeles to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
- The 9th Circuit's emergency stay came hours after a San Francisco judge ruled that Trump broke the law when he mobilized thousands of Guard members amid protests over immigration raids, and must return the troops to state control by noon Friday.
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Trump signs laws to kill California auto emission standards. California AG sues |
- In a bill signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Thursday, Trump slammed California's planned zero-emission requirements for new car sales as "a disaster for our country."
- Moments after he signed the three bills into law, California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta led a coalition of 10 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to challenge Trump's laws, which had been approved by Congress in May.
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L.A. law enforcement's treatment of journalists during protests is once again under scrutiny |
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Rubio vowed to revoke Chinese student visas. Trump now says Chinese students are welcome |
- In a potential pullback after U.S. officials said two weeks ago that they would "aggressively" revoke visas for Chinese students enrolled at U.S. universities and increase vetting of student visa applicants, President Trump said that Chinese students can continue to attend U.S. colleges and universities.
- The decision appeared to relax a clampdown on America's second-largest international student group.
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What else is going on |
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Commentary and opinions |
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This morning's must-reads |
| | | Na-Moya Lawrence and Debbie Lin, the perfumers behind Samar, want their perfumes to be intriguing and emotionally evocative. | | | |
Other must-reads |
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| Keep up with California | Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. | | | | | |
For your downtime |
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Going out |
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Staying in |
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And finally ... your photo of the day |
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| Ventura County strawberry fields had far fewer workers Wednesday, a day after federal agents targeted the region for immigration raids. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) |
| Today's great photo is from Times contributor Michael Owen Baker at a strawberry farm in Ventura County where an eerie silence hangs over fields in the wake of ICE raids. |
Have a great day, from the Essential California team |
| Julia Wick, staff writer
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters |
| How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com. |
