On June 12, 2025, Alex Padilla attended a press conference for Kristi Noem, the secretary of Homeland Security, in Los Angeles. She was defending the policies of Pres. Donald Trump, who had deployed the National Guard to the city to quell protests against federal agents conducting immigration raids. Padilla was forcibly removed from the press conference after saying that he had questions for Noem. In the hallway outside the room, he was pushed to the ground and handcuffed before eventually being released.