Hawley, who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, sent letters threatening to launch criminal investigations into the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, also known as CHIRLA, and Unión del Barrio. Hawley wrote to the CHIRLA’s executive director, Angelica Salas, saying “credible reporting now suggests that your organization has provided logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions.”
The senator offered no evidence in the letter that CHIRLA, one of the largest immigrant rights groups in Los Angeles, had been involved in any specific acts of violence or vandalism that accompanied the mostly peaceful protests over immigration raids. In a statement, Salas rejected Hawley’s allegations. “Our mission is rooted in non-violent advocacy, community safety, and democratic values,” she stated. “We will not be intimidated for standing with immigrant communities and documenting the inhumane manner that our community is being targeted with the assault by the raids, the unconstitutional and illegal arrests, detentions, and the assault on our first amendment rights.”
California Sen. Alex Padilla was forced to the ground and handcuffed at a Los Angeles press conference Thursday, where Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was speaking.
Footage from the scene shows several federal agents pushing Padilla out of the room as he says, “I’m Senator Alex Padilla, I have questions for the secretary.” As they push him into an adjacent hallway, he can be heard saying, “Hands off.” The officials then push Padilla, who has his hands up at his sides, onto his knees, then fully onto the floor, where he is handcuffed.
Noem was talking about demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in L.A. at the time. Shortly before 12:30 p.m., Padilla exited the federal building in Los Angeles and spoke to reporters outside, where he said he had not been arrested or detained.
Padilla said he was at the federal building to attend a briefing “as part of my responsibility as a senator to provide oversight and accountability” when he learned that Noem was holding a press conference in another room. He said he went to seek answers on the administration’s “increasingly extreme immigration actions,” because he had been unable to get a meeting with Department of Homeland Security officials.
For decades, the state has funded legal assistance for low-income Californians – in areas like housing, employment and immigration.
But this year, the legislature said immigration aid can’t go to those with any felony conviction.
Doan Nguyen is with the State Bar – which distributes more than $30 million in state legal aid funding. She said – with stepped-up ICE raids around the state – the timing couldn’t be worse. “This is going to create a huge chilling effect for those in need of legal services in general. This is going to be a large administrative burden for our programs,” she said.
Hospitals. Schools. Shelters.
Those are some of the places that California lawmakers want to shield from immigration arrests and raids. They advanced a package of bills this month as President Donald Trump’s administration continues its ramped-up deportation campaign around the country.
The Democratic-dominated Legislature can’t block federal agents from entering places where someone has allowed them to be. They also can’t stop ICE from going where officers have the legal authority to be, such as immigration courthouses. But the bills the state Senate passed push local officials to limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to require agents to get a warrant to enter.
