Democrats have criticized theforcible removal of a senatorwho posed a question on Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown at a news conference as “violent”, “horrifying” and “a stunning abuse of power”.
Secret Service and FBI officers grabbed, shoved and pushed to the ground Democratic senator Alex Padilla before handcuffing him after he showed up and asked a question at the conference held by the secretary of homeland security, Kristi Noem.
Tensions have flared for days between Democrats and the Trump administration over the president’s use of the national guard and marines to quell protests against the administration’s anti-immigration program in Los Angeles. A district judge on Thursday night issued atemporary restraining orderon the deployment, saying Trump had overstepped his authority.
“If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question … you can only imagine what they’re doing to farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers, throughout the LA community and throughout California and throughout the country,” Padilla said after the incident.
Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic national committee, said the incident “sent a violent message to all of America: If you dissent againstDonald Trumpand openly disagree with the government, then you are not safe in our country”, adding the incident was “straight out of an authoritarian playbook”.
Kamala Harris, who formerly held Padilla’s seat, called it “a shameful and stunning abuse of power”, while senator Cory Booker said it was “a violent act”, adding “there can be no justification of seeing a senator forced to their knees, lay flat on the ground, their hands twisted behind their back and being put into restraints”.
In a statement, the department of homeland security said the senator “chose disrespectful political theater” and disrupted a live news conference. They falsely claimed that Padilla had failed to identify himself and believed he was an attacker when he “lunged toward” Noem as she delivered remarks.
Invideo takenof the incident that has since gone viral on social media, Padilla is seen being restrained and removed from the room by the agents, saying, “I’m Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary.” He shouts, as he struggles to move past against the men pushing him back toward the exit.
Read the full story
Federal judge Charles Breyer issued a temporary ban on Trump’s deployment of the national guard against protesters in Los Angeles and ordered the US government to return control of the troops to California.
Beyer said the president had overstepped his authority with the deployment, saying that the president could not simply decide unilaterally that a rebellion was taking place. “How is that any different to what a monarchist does?” he said, his voice rising sharply.
Read the full story
California national guards and Marines deployed to Los Angeles to help restore order after days of protest against the Trump administration have told friends and family members they are deeply unhappy about the assignment and worry their only meaningful role will be as pawns in a political battle they do not want to join.
“The sentiment across the board right now is that deploying military force against our own communities isn’t the kind of national security we signed up for,” said Sarah Streyder of the Secure Families Initiative, which represents the interests of military spouses, children and veterans.
Read the full story
Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, has calledTrumpa “stone cold liar”, condemned the federal deployment of troops in Los Angeles as “theater” and “madness”, and even questioned the president’s mental fitness, as protests overimmigrationraids in the city continue.
Read the full story
Immigration and civil rights organizations across the US are warning of a growing effort to undermine their advocacy work as rightwing lawmakers accuse them of fueling the demonstrations against federal raids inCalifornia.
Advocacy groups voiced alarm on Thursday after Josh Hawley, a Republican US senator from Missouri, threatened multiple immigration and civil rights groups with investigations overclaimsthat they are “bankrolling civil unrest” in Los Angeles.
Read the full story
The House narrowly voted on Thursday to cut about $9.4bn in spending already approved by Congress as the Trump administration looks to follow through on work by the so-called “department of government efficiency” when it was overseen by Elon Musk.
Read the full story
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to acknowledge that the Pentagon had contingency plans to take Greenland and Panama by force if necessary during a congressional hearing on Thursday. When repeatedly asked by representative Adam Smith if invading the two countries was a policy of the defence department, Hegseth replied: “Our job at the defense department is to have plans for any contingency”Watch the full video
A judge released a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher charged with smuggling frog embryosinto the US on Thursday, freeing her on bail after a brief hearing.
Donald Trump has blocked California’s first-in-the-nation rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035,signing a resolution on Thursday to stymie the state’s ambitious attempt to tackle theclimate crisisby pivoting to greener vehicles.
The US justice department said on Thursday that it had filed a lawsuit against New York state,challenging state policies that blocked immigration officials from arresting individuals at or near New York courthouses.
Catching up?Here’s what happenedon 11 June