Speaker 1 (00:00):
Mr. president, it's important for me for this body to know that over the last two weeks in Los Angeles, my hometown, that we've seen masked federal agents in tactical gear ordered into our communities. We've seen the disturbing pattern of increasingly extreme and cruel immigration enforcement operations, targeting non-violent people at places of worship, at schools, in courthouses, all to meet an arbitrary quota. Now, we're seeing President Trump federalize National Guard troops and deploy them without the governor's consent. Active-duty Marines now being deployed escalating tensions in our city. And it's important to note, all this without coordination with state and local law enforcement.
(01:10)
And despite repeated requests for the justification for these extreme actions, and after months and months of little to no response from the administration on their aggressive and theatrical immigration raids, the Trump administration has done everything in their power, but to provide transparency to the American people about their mission in Los Angeles. And until last week, I chose to go home to try to get answers from the administration as they are literally militarizing our city. And I want to share what I learned, I want to share what I heard because it should shock the conscience of our country.
(01:58)
Now, one of the first items on my schedule last Thursday was a meeting and a briefing with General Guillot, the four-star general in charge of U.S Northern Command, many of you know him. The briefing was scheduled at the federal building in West Los Angeles where they're overseeing these military operations. Now, colleagues, when the United States military is deployed domestically, when our troops are deployed against the wishes of the governor for the first time since 1965, against the wishes of the local mayor, and even against the wishes of local law enforcement, both the police chief and the sheriff. We are in unchartered territory.
(02:50)
So in my effort to do my duty, to conduct congressional oversight and to try to answers from the Department of Defense that state and local officials were not receiving, I went to the federal building in West Los Angeles. I was met at the entrance, at the entrance, by a National Guardsman and an FBI agent who escorted me through security screening, and up to a conference room for my scheduled briefing. While waiting for my scheduled briefing with General Guillot I learned that Homeland Security Secretary Noem was holding a press conference, literally just down the hall. And that press conference was causing my briefing to be delayed.
(03:46)
The thought occurred to me that, "Well, maybe I could attend this press conference and listen in," just listen in the hopes of hearing Secretary Noem provide some new information that could help us make sense of what was happening. I didn't just get up and go, I asked, and was escorted by the National Guardsman and the FBI agent into the press conference. They opened the door for me. They accompanied me into the press briefing room, and they stood next to me as I stood there for a while listening. And at one point, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security said that the purpose of federal law enforcement and the purpose of the United States military was to quote, "Liberate Los Angeles from our governor and our mayor." To somehow liberate us from the very people that we democratically elected to lead our city and our state.
(05:03)
Colleagues Let that fundamentally un-American mission statement sink in. That is not a mission focused on public safety, and that simply is not and cannot be the mission of federal law enforcement and the United States military. To my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, are we truly prepared to live in a country where the president can deploy the armed forces to decide which duly elected governors and mayors should be allowed to lead their constituents? Is that really the precedent that we are okay with setting?
(05:54)
As Secretary Noem herself said last year when she was governor of North Dakota at the time, she said, "If Joe Biden federalizes the National Guard, that would be a direct attack on state's rights." That was Governor Noem, now Secretary Noem. Now, throughout this country's history, we've had conflict, we've had tumult, but we've never had a as a commander-in-chief. And that is not by coincidence, it's because the American people have always been willing to speak up and exercise their First Amendment right to protest, especially when our fundamental rights have been threatened. And as the proud son of immigrants from Mexico, it's that same right that I came to revere when marching through the streets with my family and my friends in 1994 in Los Angeles protesting against the vile anti-immigrant rhetoric that was growing in California at that time.
(07:09)
It was that year that a Republican governor was up for re-election, and was down in the polls. And he turned to scapegoating immigrants to try to improve his political standing and his re-election chances. That fight is what inspired me to leave an engineering career behind, and dedicate myself to trying to influence our government and our politics. So I've seen this before. California has seen this before. So last week when I heard something so blatantly un-American from the Secretary of Homeland Security, a cabinet official, of course, I was compelled both as a senator and as an American to speak up.
(08:05)
But before I could even get out my question, I was physically and aggressively forced out of the room, even as I repeatedly announced, "I was a United States Senator," and I had a question for the secretary. And even as the National Guardsman and the FBI agent who served as my escorts and brought me into that press briefing room stood by, silently knowing full well who I was. You've seen the video. I was pushed and pulled, struggled to maintain my balance. I was forced to the ground, first on my knees and then flat on my chest. And as I was handcuffed, and marched down a hallway repeatedly asking, "Why am I being detained?" Not once did they tell me why.
(09:33)
I pray you never have a moment like this. But I will tell you, in that moment a lot of questions came to my mind. First of all, "Where are they taking me? Because I know I'm not just being escorted out of the building. Am I being arrested here? And what will a city already on edge from being militarized think when they see their United States Senator being handcuffed just for trying to ask a question? And what will my wife think? What will our boys think?" And I also remember asking myself, if this aggressive escalation is the result of someone speaking up against the abuses and overreach of the Trump administration, was it really worth it?
(10:46)
But colleagues, how many Americans in our nation's history have marched, have protested, have shed blood, even lost their lives to protect our rights? How many Americans have served in wars overseas to protect our freedoms here at home? And how many Americans in the year 2025 see a vindictive president on a tour of retribution, unrestrained by the majority of this separate and co-equal branch of government, and wonder if it's worth it to stand up or to speak out? If a United States Senator becomes too afraid to speak up, how can we expect any other American to do the same?
(11:46)
And colleagues, you know me. I can't think of a person who would describe me as a flamethrower. I try to be respectful, I try to be considerate to every member of this body, regardless of our political differences. And so I do want to take a moment to thank all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have reached out to share your messages of support, whether they were public messages or many in private. Trust me, they mean the world to me, and I know they mean the world to my family.
(12:29)
But if you watch what unfolded last week and thought what happened is just about one politician and one press conference, you're missing the point. If that is what the administration is willing to do to a United States senator for having the authority to simply ask a question, imagine what they'll do to any American who dares to speak up? If what you saw happen can happen when the cameras are on, imagine not only what can happen, but what is happening in so many places where there are no cameras. Colleagues, this isn't about me. In fact, it's not just about immigrant communities or even just the state of California. It's about every single American who values their constitutional rights. It's about anyone who's ever exercised their First Amendment rights, or anyone who's ever disagreed with a president, or anyone who simply values our democracy and want to keep it.
(13:49)
Now, the president will tell you that this is just about undocumented immigrants, about law and order, and about targeting dangerous, violent criminals. If it was just about targeting dangerous, violent criminals, there would be no disagreement, there would be no debate. But we know differently. We don't think, we know differently. Public data released by the administration shows that the majority of immigrants currently in ICE custody have no prior criminal conviction. And new reporting shows that less than 10% of immigrants taken into ICE custody since October have no serious criminal convictions, less than 10%.
(14:44)
But a couple of weeks ago, it seemed that Donald Trump was at the lowest point of his presidency so far. He was drowning in a week of terrible headlines, the American people were finally waking up to the realities of the budget reconciliation bill that will cut healthcare, nutrition assistance, and good paying clean energy jobs while reducing the tax burden on billionaires. He was losing his tariff wars as the cost for everyday goods were continuing to rise. His promises to end the Russia's invasion of Ukraine were falling flat. And he'd been headed lost after loss in federal court. He even had a very public breakup with Elon Musk. And I mentioned this only because we know what happens when the headlines turn on Donald Trump. When Donald Trump is having a bad week, he turns to the same tired playbook he always has. When in doubt, scapegoat immigrants, and manufacture a crisis to distract the media from what's going on. That's the reason ICE raids ramped up in California.
(16:03)
And when Californians took to the streets to peacefully protest, he bypassed the governor and federalized the National Guard. And even with their presence over a couple of days as things began to settle, he escalated even further by standing in the Marines. He wants the spectacle, not just to distract, but to justify his un-democratic crackdowns and his authoritarian power grabs. That's the reason why even though the vast majority of protests have remained peaceful, what a weekend. That notwithstanding the president, the vice president and their allies have continued to call all the protesters out there insurrectionists? Yes, this is the same man who provoked an actual insurrection at our Capitol on January 6th. The same man who incited a violent mob carrying Confederate flags against Congress. The same man who then pardoned the convicted felons who assaulted our brave Capitol police officers.
(17:21)
Donald Trump is continuing to test the boundaries of his power, and he's surrounded himself with yes-men and under-qualified attack dogs from the DHS secretary to the FBI director, to the Secretary of Defense, who will rubber-stab every anti-Democratic step he takes. This administration's officials, and maybe not all, but many Republicans in Congress may choose not to do their job, but they cannot stop me from doing mine. And I refuse to let immigrants be political pawns on his path towards fascism.
(18:07)
Again, if you really think this is just about immigrants and immigration, it's time to wake up. What's happening is not just a threat to California, it's a threat to everyone in every state. If Donald Trump can bypass the governor and activate the National Guard to put down protests on immigrant rights, he can do it to suppress your rights too. If he can deploy the Marines to Los Angeles without justification, he can deploy them to your state too. And if he can ignore due process, strip away First Amendment rights, and disappear people to foreign prisons without their day in court, he can do it to you too. Because California is just a test case for the rest of the country.
(19:03)
Last week for many was a warning shot, but I pray that it also serves as a wake-up call. Since Thursday, we've now seen Trump threatened to do the same in other cities run by elected Democrats. He's saying the quiet part out loud. It doesn't matter if you're a Republican, or a Democrat, or an independent, we all have a responsibility to speak up and to push back before it's too late.
(19:40)
So I do encourage people to keep peacefully protesting. There's nothing more patriotic than to peacefully protest for your rights. Because no one's going to liberate Los Angeles, but Angelenos. No one will redeem America, but Americans. No one is coming to save us, but us. And we know that the cameras are not on in every corner of the country. But if this administration is this afraid of just one senator with a question, colleagues, imagine what the voices of tens of millions of Americans peacefully protesting can do. I thank you all for being here to hear me.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
And I thank you, Mr. President.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
[inaudible 00:20:59].
