Over 200 Democrats sign letter condemning ‘unprecedented’ removal of senator from DHS presser

Over 200 House and Senate Democrats signed a missive condemning what they called an "unprecedented incident" successful which Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was forcibly removed from a Homeland Security property league past week.

Signed by 188 House members of Congress and 35 senators, the missive accuses the Trump medication of a "potential usurpation of separation of powers" and said the incidental "raises alarming questions astir the behaviour of national instrumentality enforcement agencies, the coordination of protective services, and the administration’s posture toward legislature oversight."

Padilla was handcuffed and concisely detained by officers arsenic helium aimed to talk retired successful absorption to Trump administration migration raids that sparked unrest successful Los Angeles and smaller protests crossed the state this month.

Videos of the incidental showed Padilla attempting to locomotion up to Noem portion she was speaking astatine a podium and trying to outcry implicit the secretary, but instrumentality enforcement stepped successful and forcefully stopped Padilla's advance. 

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Left: Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.J. Center: Sens. Alex Padilla, D-Calif. Right: Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. (AP/Rod Lamkey, Jr./File and REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/File Photo)

Padilla was yet taken retired of the room, brought to the crushed and handcuffed, the videos showed. Fox News reporters who were contiguous astatine the quality league said Padilla appeared to beryllium detained for a play of time.

Padilla has claimed, "I wasn’t trying to beryllium disrespectful oregon disruptive, and I don’t deliberation I was" and "I was simply asking a question conscionable arsenic the members of the property corps inquire questions, members of the Congress, members of the Senate inquire questions to bash our occupation to clasp the medication accountable."

The letter, sent by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and joined by hundreds much different lawmakers, was sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., connected Monday.

The missive was signed by the likes of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

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Sen. Alex Padilla was seen adjacent Noem's podium astatine the quality conference.

"We constitute to explicit our profound interest regarding the shocking and profoundly troubling mistreatment of United States Senator Alex Padilla," the lawmakers said successful the letter.

The missive states that "Senator Padilla intelligibly identified himself and was acting wrong his rights arsenic a Member of Congress," and that "this unprecedented incidental is not simply an affront to information protocol—it is simply a law issue—as these actions whitethorn represent an battle connected a sitting senator."

The Democrats telephone for "swift and decisive action" from legislature enactment "to uphold the dignity and authorization of Congress."

"If members of the United States Senate tin beryllium physically restrained for seeking answers from enforcement officials, it sets a unsafe precedent for the independency of the legislative branch," the missive claims.

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Sen. Alex Padilla (Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Johnson has said that his presumption of Padilla’s behaviour earlier the incidental was "wildly inappropriate," telling reporters, "You don’t complaint a sitting Cabinet secretary, and everybody tin gully their ain conclusions."

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Thune spoke to Padilla and Senate Sergeant astatine Arms Jennifer Hemingway astir the incident. 

Responding to the letter, Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, told Fox News Digital that "this missive won’t fool anyone." 

"Padilla lunged towards Secretary Noem’s podium successful the mediate of a property conference, resisted instrumentality enforcement, and didn’t instantly place himself," she said. "Democrats are truthful hopeless to speech astir thing different than their supporters violently rioting successful L.A. that they’re trying to marque a martyr retired of a legislator who acted similar a kindergartner throwing a temper tantrum." 

Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.