06/11/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/11/2025 21:59
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined a spotlight forum entitled "Cruel and Unamerican: The Abuse of Immigrants to Attack our Constitutional Order" to condemn President Trump's inhumane, theatrical immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, including his unprecedented move to federalize the California National Guard and mobilize hundreds of members of the U.S. Marine Corps. He warned that Trump's actions in California are a "test case" for using the National Guard or Marines to attack immigrants' rights in communities across the country.
Padilla made clear that the blame for the unrest in Los Angeles falls squarely on President Trump. He blasted the President for using the same playbook when the headlines turn against him: scapegoat immigrants and manufacture a crisis. He outlined that Trump sought to sow chaos across Los Angeles to distract from his struggling political agenda, including Republicans' billionaire-first tax bill that would gut health care and nutrition services that millions of Americans depend on to give tax breaks to the wealthy.
Padilla also urged Californians to continue peacefully protesting the Trump Administration's unprecedented overreach, and strongly condemned violence in all its forms, including the small set of bad actors engaging in violent behavior or vandalism.
Padilla criticized Trump for his severe escalation of the conflict, deploying the National Guard without the Governor's consent or request for the first time since 1965. Since then, Trump has arrested Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California President David Huerta for peacefully protesting, threatened to arrest Governor Newsom, and mobilized approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles without a clear mission or justification. Padilla warned of the dangerous precedent Trump's actions set, not just for California, but for the entire nation.
Padilla concluded his remarks by promising to fight against President Trump's reckless attempt to circumvent due process to enact his mass deportation agenda.
Video of Padilla's full remarks is available here.
In his questioning, Padilla discussed the Trump Administration's alarming erosion of due process, including the unprecedented number of arrests taking place over the last few weeks at immigrants' court dates, hearings, or regular check-ins.
Senator Padilla has been outspoken in calling out the Los Angeles Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and Trump's misguided mobilization of the National Guard and U.S. Marine Corps. Yesterday, Padilla and U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) demanded answers regarding the Trump Administration's decision to deploy approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles. Padilla has spoken on the Senate floor multiple times to blast President Trump for manufacturing a crisis by launching indiscriminate ICE raids across Los Angeles and deploying the National Guard and active-duty servicemembers to the region. Earlier this week, Padilla, Schiff, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) demanded answers from top Trump Administration officials regarding the arrest and detention of David Huerta, President of SEIU California and SEIU-United Service Workers West.
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