California senator on ICE raids happening in L.A. and being removed from Kristi Noem’s press conference
WASHINGTON (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) spoke with Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation Sunday about the ICE raids happening in Los Angeles.
Last week, Senator Padilla was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's press conference.
Brennan asked Padilla if he got the answer to the question he was trying to ask Secretary Noem during the press conference, and what was it, to which Padilla answered saying:
"Sadly, no. And so a little bit of context here, the reason I tried to...the reason I was at the press conference, it was at a scheduled briefing with representatives of Northern Command just a couple doors down the hall in the same federal building when I learned of the press conference. My briefing delayed because the folks I was supposed to meet with were at that press conference. So I asked if we could listen in I was escorted over, and that's what I was doing. Why? Because for months and months, whether it's in committee, the Secretary herself testifying and not providing substantive answers to questions, other representatives of the department, formal letters and inquiries that we've submitted, doing my job as a senator to get information as part of our oversight and accountability responsibility. So to be able to ask a question of the Secretary directly when they offered the meeting after the incident, I took it. But sadly, no, nothing substantive, nothing informative."
When asked what the question was, Padilla said, "Among other things, their justification for the federalization of the National Guard, not only not necessary, but counterproductive as we've seen this last week in Los Angeles, and also just truth. You know, for all the talk about the focus and targeting of violent criminals, if that's all the Trump administration was doing, there would be no debate. There is no disagreement on that. But as you're hearing more and more stories of undocumented, long term residents of the United States who are otherwise law abiding, working hard, paying taxes, raising families and, frankly, working in jobs that under the first Trump administration, when the COVID pandemic hit, were deemed essential."
During the interview, Brennan and Padilla talked about the Trump Administration told ICE to pull back on its enforcement a bit, prompting Brennan to ask if it was in the step in the right direction and if he knows what triggered the decision, to which Padilla answered saying:
"I don't know exactly what triggered that decision. I'll take it. Is it a step in the right direction? It's at least a baby step. Let's hope there's more to follow, because they're responding to what I and others have been saying for months and months and, frankly, years, going back to the first Trump administration. You want stats. Let's talk about stats. The state of California, the most populous state in the nation, the most diverse state in the nation, home to more immigrants than any state in the nation, mostly documented, some undocumented. This is the same California that is the largest economy of any state in the nation, fourth largest economy in the world, not despite the immigrant population, but thanks to the contributions of so many immigrants as workforce, as consumers and as entrepreneurs. So again, focus on the dangerous, violent criminals. No disagreement there, but the folks are otherwise law abiding, tax paying and enriching communities, there's got to be a better way, a pathway towards legalization, a pathway to citizenship for 'Dreamers,' farm workers and others."
To watch more of Brennan's interview with Padilla, click here.
