Senator Alex Padilla: "Our democracy shines brightest when we stand up and defend one another"
Senator Alex Padilla's remarks from the State of the Union Democratic response.
Good evening, this is Senator Alex Padilla of California.
We just heard Donald Trump do what he does best: lie.
He lies about the economy.
He lies about his violent and out-of-control enforcement of immigration laws. And he’s trying to deceive us about his plans to interfere with the elections this November.
The truth is that the State of our Union does not feel strong for everyone.
Not when the costs of rent, food, and electricity keep rising.
Not when Republicans raise our medical costs to fund tax cuts for billionaires. And definitely not when federal agents – armed and masked – terrorize our communities by targeting people because of the color of their skin or for speaking Spanish — including immigrants with legal status and citizens.
This chaos is the product of the dangerous whims of one person: Donald Trump.
Democrats are working to lower costs, put an end to the chaos, and fight corruption. Despite Trump’s lies, we know what we’re seeing with our own eyes.
We see ICE agents using excessive force: entering homes without judicial warrants and shooting at cars with families still inside. Placing people in detention centers without adequate access to doctors, healthy food, or clean drinking water.
Since January of last year, 40 people have died in ICE custody.
They have even taken the lives of two American citizens in broad daylight, simply for exercising their freedom of speech.
These operations began last year in Los Angeles, in my hometown, and have spread to communities in every corner of the country.
And that’s not the only threat. Trump wants to manipulate the next elections.
He has signed executive orders intended to prevent millions of eligible voters from exercising their right to vote. And he has suggested using ICE agents at polling places to intimidate voters. These are tactics we have seen in other countries governed by corrupt dictators.
And like them, Donald Trump is afraid of losing power. He is afraid to admit that his policies have failed and that voters will reject his agenda this November.
Donald Trump will not be president forever.
More importantly, the Dream that has inspired generations of Americans and immigrants will remain long after Trump is gone.
I know this Dream well — it is the American Dream.
I am the son of Santos and Lupe Padilla. My parents met in Los Angeles after emigrating from Mexico and raised me and my siblings in the beautiful community of Pacoima in the San Fernando Valley.
With hard work and dignity, they worked humble and honorable jobs: my father as a cook and my mother cleaning houses.
They believed in the value of honest work, their children’s education, and they always lent a hand to any neighbor who needed it.
These are the values that shaped California’s first Latino United States Senator. And it is in this spirit that I speak to you tonight.
I know many of us are tired. I see it and I understand it. My wife Angela and I are raising our children in these difficult times — so we feel it too.
I speak with parents who are afraid to drop their children off at school.
With workers who fear ICE will arrive at their workplace.
People who are afraid to go to church in person or keep their doctor’s appointment.
Instilling fear in people is not strength. Much less leadership.
Last year, many of you saw when federal agents pushed me to the ground and handcuffed me for demanding answers from this administration over its military occupation in Los Angeles. They may have knocked me down for a moment, but I got right back up. As our parents taught us: if you fall seven times, get up eight. I am still here. Standing. Still fighting. And I know you are still standing and still fighting too.
This country has always been shaped by people who were told they did not belong — but who persevered and kept moving forward.
We held our heads high against degrading policies in California, in Arizona, in Texas, and elsewhere.
Just like the Irish and Italians who overcame signs that read “Need not apply.”
Like the Chinese communities who resisted the Chinese Exclusion Act.
Like Japanese Americans who persevered in the years after their internment.
Like those who refused to sit in the back of the bus, or the people who were told whom they could or could not love.
And like the veterans who served and sacrificed so much so that we could raise our voices against injustice — even when that injustice comes from our own government.
This is the history of the United States: rising from periods of darkness into brighter days.
My message tonight is simple:
Only the people save the people. Our democracy shines brightest when we stand up and defend one another.
There is a better path. While Trump’s illegal policies and tariffs continue to drive up prices, Democrats are working to lower costs. Trump is trying to make voting harder — Democrats want to make it more accessible. And while he seeks to expand the reach of ICE, Democrats are pushing for oversight, accountability, and clear limits on its actions.
I am not telling you it will be easy, but we cannot give up.
Trump does not want us to recognize our power.
And he is doing things we never would have imagined possible here in the United States. Donald Trump promised to improve the country and our lives, and many believed him — but we are living a nightmare that divides and destroys our communities.
You cannot improve our country while violating our fundamental rights. Our freedom of speech. Protection against unlawful detention. And equality under the law, for everyone. Without exception.
This November, we will have the opportunity to make real change.
We have a clear choice…
Between division or unity.
Between lies or the truth.
Between chaos or competence.
Between a future that helps the rich get richer, or a future that puts working families first.
How can the people save the people?
By raising our voices — marching — organizing our communities — and voting.
That is why I ask you something clear and urgent: prepare, starting today, for your voice to reverberate this November.
If you are eligible, register to vote. Make sure your family, your friends, your neighbors, and your coworkers do the same.
Remember the harm Trump has caused and go out this November to VOTE.
The work ahead is important.
The work to protect our democracy and defend our freedoms.
The work to build a fair economy for our families.
Yes, it is a big task — and it is the responsibility of our generation.
As Bad Bunny reminded us a few weeks ago: “Together, we are America.”
Together, we rise, because our faith is stronger than any disappointment or any obstacle — including Trump.
And together, we will build the future our children deserve.
Thank you very much for your attention tonight.
May God bless you.
And may God bless the United States.