FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS CONTACT:Jessica Ortiz, Jessicao@mifamiliavota.org

 MAGA Extremism Must Be Held Accountable

Washington, DC- Mi Familia Vota strongly condemns the outrageous and unacceptable treatment towards Senator Alex Padilla, who was shoved, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed for simply attempting to ask a question during a press conference with Secretary Noem.

Hector Sanchez Barba, President and CEO of Mi Familia Vota released the following statement regarding this dispiriting event:

“This is more than just disrespect toward a Senator, it’s a dangerous escalation of political violence fueled by MAGA extremism that is targeting those who ask questions, or hold power accountable. Our community is hurting, and Senator Padilla was utilizing his constitutionally protected rights to ask questions from a tax payer funded agency. 

Senator Padilla is a powerful voice in the Latino, immigrant and working-class communities. Silencing him through physical force is a direct assault on our democracy, our values, and the communities he represents.

Let’s be clear: this is not normal. This is not acceptable. This cannot be ignored. We cannot let our democracy die. 

We call on House and Senate leadership and every member of Congress, to go to the floor and speak out immediately. We must not allow violence and intimidation to replace debate and dialogue in our democratic institutions. We demand accountability. We demand action.”

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Mi Familia Vota mission is to build Latino power to advance our priorities through community activation and year-round investment in local infrastructure. Both organizations have operations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, and Texas, and expansion efforts are underway in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.