Noem was in L.A. to address the ongoing protests against President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Federal agents handcuffed Padilla after his removal.

Alex Padilla, a frequent critic of the Trump administration and its actions toward immigrants, was forcibly removed from a Department of Homeland Security press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday morning.

Noem was holding the press conference to express her support for the law enforcement officers working to contain the anti-ICE riots in L.A.