Rep. Eric Swalwell Urges California AG to Prosecute Officers Who Forcibly Removed Sen. Alex Padilla
California Congressman Eric Swalwell is drawing heavy fire after demanding that law enforcement officers involved in the removal of Senator Alex Padilla from a recent press conference be prosecuted by the California attorney general.
Padilla, California’s junior senator, was physically removed from a Department of Homeland Security press event last week — an event led by Secretary Kristi Noem — after reportedly attempting to interrupt and voice opposition to Trump administration-era immigration policies. The scene quickly escalated, resulting in Padilla being handcuffed and removed by federal agents and National Guard personnel.
During an MSNBC interview on Wednesday, Swalwell defended Padilla’s actions as protected under the First Amendment and criticized law enforcement for what he described as an unjustified use of force against an elected official.
“If I was a prosecutor, the top prosecutor in my state, and these rogue agents arrested somebody like Alex Padilla… I would use the law,” Swalwell said. “You have to meet their chaos with your own strength.”
Swalwell went on to suggest that Democratic leadership should be more aggressive in confronting what he framed as an overreach of executive power and an attack on congressional independence.
The incident has become a lightning rod for criticism on both sides. Supporters of Padilla and Swalwell argue that the treatment of the senator was extreme and unprecedented. Opponents say Padilla disrupted a federal press conference for political theater and that security officials acted appropriately to restore order.
Swalwell’s call for prosecution escalates tensions between Democratic lawmakers and federal law enforcement, placing renewed pressure on California Attorney General Rob Bonta to act. So far, Bonta’s office has not commented publicly on the incident or on Swalwell’s demands.
The fallout adds another layer of political volatility in a year already defined by contentious immigration debates, rising friction between state and federal authorities, and mounting accusations of government overreach on both ends of the political spectrum.
Whether legal action will be taken remains to be seen, but Swalwell’s comments have amplified the stakes — and reignited questions about the boundaries between protest, free speech, and the rule of law within the highest levels of government.