Washington, D.C.—Today, at a press conference hosted by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, officials forcibly removed U.S. Senator Alex Padilla from the room after he attempted to ask questions. Latino Victory Fund President & CEO Katharine Pichardo issued the following statement in response:
“The actions taken by federal officials against Senator Alex Padilla are illegitimate, unacceptable, and shameful. This was an unwarranted show of excessive force used to silence a member of the United States Congress who was exercising his right and duty to ask questions of the agency he is entrusted with overseeing. This is not democracy – they’re the actions of a fascist regime. It is designed to intimidate, plain and simple. When dissent is punished and power is unchecked, we’re in dangerous territory. And as citizens, we must stand up to such abuses of power.
“It must be said that Senator Padilla’s voice is an invaluable Latino voice in the U.S. Senate, and it’s gut-wrenching to see him treated in such a horrific and disrespectful manner. Latino Victory was proud to support Senator Padilla when he was appointed the first Latino to represent California in the U.S. Senate and was even prouder to endorse him in his first election. Now, we are damn proud to stand with him as he uses his voice in Congress to speak up for his state and his community and to stop the Trump MAGA regime’s path to destroying our nation’s democracy.”
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The Latino Victory Fund is a progressive political action committee with the mission of growing Latino political power by increasing Latino representation at every level of government—from the school board to the Senate to the White House.
