Morning Joe - Sen. Alex Padilla, one year after he was removed from a DHS press conference

Episode Date: June 12, 2026

June 12, 2026: 7am — Sen. Alex Padilla, one year after he was removed from a DHS press conference To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

All right, Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas is predicting a midterm disaster that will make President Trump's final two years in office, quote, miserable. Senator Cornyn sat down for an extensive interview with the New York Times, his first since he was defeated by the Trump-endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last month in a Republican primary runoff election. He told a paper, he thinks it's going to be a pretty bumpy ride for the next seven. months in the Senate as he joins a handful of other Republicans who are either not seeking re-election or were defeated in primaries by Trump-backed candidates. The senator added, we've got some cards to play, referencing President Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in the Oval Office last year. Cornyn also spoke in candid terms about a growing sentiment among Senate Republicans that President Trump was hurting his own

party with self-serving decisions and his insistence on, quote, slavish loyalty. He said the president's self-inflicted wounds are, quote, going to make things harder, certainly more expensive in Texas, and make it harder around the country. Cornyn continued, quote, I don't say that with any sort of desire for vengeance. I just think that that's the way it's going to be. He's going to have the most miserable two years of his life in the last. two years of his term, I think, because November is going to be a disaster. And so, Miki, you've believed, I mean, the night of the Ken Paxon victory of for John

Cornyn, you said that night to me, all right, this is the beginning of something very bad for Donald Trump, but caused the message it sends the other Republicans that you, you said you thought that would be a turning point among Republicans, and a lot of them have said the same thing since, which is they've realized it doesn't matter how loyal to, loyal they are to him, it's never enough. Well, and also I've just heard from people who are much closer to the situation than me that that endorsement of Paxman was, Paxson for a lot of, a lot of Republicans who were holding off on making their own decisions about President Trump are now done. They're now completely done. It's certainly having, playing his game.

An impact with Republican senators, and you can see it every day playing out. Let's bring around of the host of On Brand with Donny Deutsch. Donny Deutsch. Oh, is it time for On Brand? Well, no, but I mean, he just comes in on Friday because he likes to say something that'll help him when he goes out to the Hamptons on the weekend, you know, at the bars. Okay. Yeah, we don't have to ask you up, brand up, brand down. I'm going to start with Lamere really quickly, and he has a question for you, Donnie.

But Jonathan, you look at what John Corny said. And we've always known from the beginning of the Trump term that on the most horrific, just the absolute most horrific, bordering on unconstitutional plans coming out of the White House, you can usually count on three Republicans, Murkowski, Collins, Susan Collins, and Mitch McConnell to say now. I mean, it didn't always happen that way, but usually for the absolute worst ideas, the absolute worst plans coming from the absolute worst people. They were usually there. Now, in the new world we live in, I've added, and maybe you have some other people, John Cornyn, who Donald Trump defeated with his endorsement, Tom Tillis, who knew he couldn't run again because he would be defeated, Bill Cassidy, who was defeated, we're up to six free agents right there who have absolutely nothing to lose.

In fact, it's in Susan Collins' best interest to go against the absolute worst ideas. because she actually has an election. And Murkowski, she just wins in Alaska, whether people in the hard right like it or not. So talk about, before we even get to the midterms and how badly Cornyn Bleeds-Zell go for Republicans, talk about how difficult things have become for Donald Trump just since the Paxton election. No question. There is sort of this sudden, suddenly a new caucus that's formed within the Republican Senate. You just named six, and then you can throw in on occasion.

Some Rand Paul occasionally does defy the president on certain issues. And you also have other senators who suddenly are in very tough races this fall who are going to have to pick and choose. There will be moments where they might feel like they need to exert independence. And we have seen the Senate start to say no on occasion, on the funding for the ballroom, on the January 6th slush fund. You know, we have seen the handful of rebukes. Now, not as many as perhaps, you know, others would like, but there are some degrees of independence here. And I think Corny's right that, like, Trump is going to have a very tough two years as a lame duck.

Now, of course, inherently he is one already. He is prohibited from running for president again. But that doesn't really kick in until the midterms. And I think for Trump, Donnie, it's also going to be, I think it's such a fascinating development to watch, let's say, in January. we're assuming the Democrats take one or both houses of Congress. You know, Trump is going to have his powers checked because he won't, you know, because of that. But also, for the very first time in a decade, he's going to suddenly realize he's not going to be the number one topic of conversation.

The political world is eventually going to move to the 2028 race and consume with those primaries, both fields, wide open, Republicans and Democrats. How is Trump going to handle that in sort of he enters his last phase? I'm going to predict not well. Yeah, I don't see it any way it goes well for Trump in the midterms. I mean, we're into June, and June is, might as well be September. I mean, people kind of take the summer off, and the prices are not changing. They're going to keep going up. And so when you take the prices of gas and you take prices of everything, all the cost of things,

you take Iran, you take Epstein, you take just an overall starting to crack, to see these cracks in the Republican kind of foundation, you go, what's going to make it go well for him? And I think just to kind of jump forward a little bit, as far as him, like, not being, the center of attention. Not to get ahead of my skis here, but you kind of go, what would he do to make sure to anoint the next candidate keeps him still front and center? And then I go, maybe it's not Rubio. And maybe it's not Vance.

Maybe it's somebody with the last name, Trump. And I know I'm getting way ahead of my skis here. But if you just study this guy as a character, you go, that's where he's going. So that's the way he keeps himself the center of attention. I don't think it would surprise anybody, Donnie. happen. We'll see. And guys, one more note on John Cornyn, hopefully a lesson some Republicans learn, but they don't seem to have learned yet, is that John Cornyn voted with President Trump 99.3% of the time during the campaign. Just a few weeks ago, he proposed naming a highway

after Donald Trump. He did all the things that we view maybe as pathetic sometimes, and it didn't pay off. You'd think at some point these men and women would learn that with Donald Trump, loyalty is not a two-way street and you might as well stand on your integrity and stand up for what you actually believe in. That is so brutal. That is brutal. And it may be one of the reasons why when John Thune was asked this past week, well, could the president do the same thing to you?

Thune just shrugged his shoulders and laughed. That's the reality. Yeah, good. But even that response was sort of a response borne out of the bitter knowledge. that John Thune's not going to be going around chasing Donald Trump's, you know, you know, Pat's on the head from Donald Trump quite as much because they've all found out it does you no good. What's that in our 99.3% of the time he voted with Donald Trump? Oh, that's brutal.

Okay. Still ahead on morning, Joe. It's been one year since Democratic Senator Alex Padilla was handcuffed and removed. from a Homeland Security press conference after trying to question then Secretary Kristy Knoem. He joins us next to weigh in on that moment and the Trump administration's continued. Immigration crackdown. Morning Joe is coming right back.

Because the fact of the matter is half a dozen violent criminals that you're rotating on your on your... I also want to go about how many of our high agents have a doctor. On the ground. On the ground. Hands upon your back. Hands on your back. Lay it up my hands. Go ahead. All right. All right. Cool. And with my hand. Lace, lay flat. Lay flat.

Other hand, sir. Other hand. That is a sitting United States senator one year ago. Handcuff dragged out of a DHS news conference in Los Angeles while trying to ask a question of then-secretary, Christy Knoam. Now, Democratic Senator Alex Bede. of California is reflecting on that incident a year ago, using the anniversary to renew his call for change to America's immigration system. And Senator Padilla joins us now. Senator, good morning. It's still a year later shocking to watch that footage all over again. And I'm curious, as you do reflect not just on that moment, but on the year since that has seen the expansion of these detention centers across the country with reporting showing us the abhorrent conditions, particularly for children and for women.

We have the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in the streets of Minneapolis and on and on and on. In some ways, it feels like things actually have gotten worse since that happened to you a year ago. Right. No, well, first of all, thank you for having me, particularly on this day. And you're absolutely right. Because of what continues to happen,

the continued cruelty of this administration, we absolutely want to use this one year later, remark to make sure that we continue to put a spotlight on the abuses of this administration. Their harmful policies, what started a year ago after that incident. Unfortunately, I was proven right. The two points coming after that press conference that I try to make was one, if this is how they'll treat a senator with the audacity to try to ask a question. Imagine what's happening when the cameras aren't there in corners across the country

during Trump's immigration enforcement, mass deportation campaign. Number two, this was Los Angeles. And Los Angeles was simply the test case. I predicted that they were laying the groundwork to come into cities across the country. And that's exactly what's happened, from Washington, D.C., to Chicago, to Portland, Minneapolis, consequentially, of course, many others. But things have shifted in the last year. Some good news and some bad news.

The good news is the secretary in home is gone, right? Bovino is gone. Pam Bondi, gone. We're still here and we're still fighting. But the tactics of change. You don't see the visuals of the nightly news or social media of cruelty and violence in the streets. But you're seeing maybe even more cruel than using the process, right? Detention facilities that are not open to the press for oversight and accountability. And we're hearing about the conditions. Maggots and rotten food that's being served to detainees, right? They're not convicted criminals, they're detainees. Lack of clean drinking water.

Lack of access to medical code. Basic human standards that were required to provide in facilities like this. And then, of course, the delays in people's paperwork. We have DACA renewals that are taking months and months and months longer than they used to. In the meantime, people's DACA status is expiring and they are more vulnerable to deportation. they're no longer able to work while their applications are in limbo. They're using the system to continue to make life difficult for immigrants, the vast majority, who are not the dangerous violent criminals, they say that we're going to focus on.

Yeah, we're going to have a live report on that DACA situation just ahead here this morning. Senator, you're right to highlight this conditions in these detention facilities still deplorable, according to reports. But we've heard from the administration that they don't want to have another Minneapolis that said, deportation tactics still ramping up. We have heard Tom Holman suggest that New York City in some way will be next. And so I want to get your reaction to the new Secretary of Homeland Security for your former colleague in the Senate, Mark Wayne Mullen, suggesting that they will crack down on sanctuary cities by, you know, stripping some of those cities' airports of like DHS and customs officials,

which therefore could, you know, they want to punish those cities. there can be widespread economic impact throughout the country. Yeah. Look, it's a continuation of the obsession this administration has against immigrants, period, right? For all their talk about targeting the worst of the worst, the vast majority of people that have been arrested and have been detained. This is ICE's own data, by the way, do not have the violent criminal convictions on their record. They have no criminal convictions on their record. They're only crime in the eyes of the administration.

is their presence in this country. But a lot of them work in essential jobs, key to essential industries for the American economy. So it's completely backwards thinking. It's harmful not just to individuals, families, and communities, but to our own nation's interest. And so that's what we're fighting. And sadly, the administration is fighting.

We could have had this reform conversation, not just about modernizing our immigration system as a whole, but just the way in which immigration enforcement is happening, right? The requirement for a signed judicial warrant, for example, access to counsel, for example. ICE agents having to identify themselves and not hide behind masks coming out of unmarked cars. Instead of engaging with that, the Republican Party, led by Trump, has wanted to go this partisan-only budget route, and they have front-loaded ICE and CBP for three years of funding so they don't have to negotiate policy with Democrats.

It's also such a mystery of what is happening inside these detention centers. You mentioned the condition, Senator. I'm just wondering the ICE process of apprehending someone and detaining them, and what's happening inside the detention centers is any of it legal. And secondly, what else are you hearing about additional punitive measures toward migrants, for example, an effort to debank them? Right. So there's, again, at every turn, this administration will try to make life as miserable as possible

and to try to encourage people to self-deport. That is what we're up against. Thank God for the resilience of so many people, so many communities across the country in the detention facilities, by the way. It's not just what we're hearing and what we think is happening there for those of us who have been successful on occasion to enter these facilities to see with our own eyes and in rare cases actually be able to speak with detainees to hear directly from them. That's what's happening. I've heard and seen the spoiled food that's being served. I've seen the lack of clean water.

I've heard the stories of the medical care that's not being given. And it's not just, oh, I have a headache. I need, you know, Tyler or Advil or something. These are people with chronic conditions, many with injuries sustained while they were being apprehended in a courtroom, right? They were trying to do it the proper way, and that's where ICE took advantage of the opportunity to take somebody into detention physically, I would say violently, and then they're being denied medical care.

California, New Jersey, Texas, and everywhere in between. And so people are rightfully worked up protesting to call attention to it. And the administration is trying to hide behind new policies to even keep members of Congress from conducting our duty of oversight. But the courts, I think, will ultimately prevail. But in the meantime, yeah, these conditions continue. Senator Donny Deutsch, you know, immigration always seems to be front and center for the Republicans. We're a few months for the midterms.

The only place Trump gets positive marks on immigration at this point is on actually closing the border. And how do you keep the discussion not about that he's closed the border and everybody's very behind that versus what's going on and he's getting the wrong kind of people? Because we're not seeing those videos anymore in the news. So you don't have that kind of that same trough to kind of go at from a messaging point of view. Yeah, look, I've always sort of broken down the immigration conversation to sort of three buckets. Number one, yes, what's the situation at the southern border? And we can agree or disagree about how to go about it. But the fact of the matter is, numbers are way down if people come into the border.

But that was always the pretext for why Republicans have not wanted to move forward on the DREAM Act, for example, or provide relief for many farm workers that our nation depends on that happen to be undocumented. For example, it was always about first secure the border, first secure the border. Well, if that's done, now what are you waiting for? You know, our immigration system as a whole does need modernization. people wanted to come to the United States lawfully, you know, whether it's work visas, student visas or anything else. We've got to bring those into modern times for the sake of our economic global competitiveness.

And we cannot forget the millions of people who have been long-term residents of the United States. They've been living here, raising families here, paying taxes here, contributing to the health of our nation. They deserve better than to live in the shadows than to live in the fear or terror that this administration has brought upon them. Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California. Thank you. We'll continue to follow this conversation with you. And also coming up, we continue this conversation with MSNOW reporter Maya Eagland.

She has new reporting on DACA recipients who are facing months-long delays for work permit renewals, increasing the chances they could be deported to the senator's point. Morning, Joe, we'll be right back. We just heard from Senator Padilla about the obstacles being placed before DACA recipients seemingly intended to impede their attempts to renew their status. DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, was created back in 2012 under President Barack Obama, intended to protect from deportation kids brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Let's bring in MS now as Maya Eagland, who has got new reporting on delays in the DACA renewal process and the impact that's having on those in the DACA community. Maya, what did you learn? Good morning.

Yeah, an estimated 500 million people are a part of the DACA program and it allows folks who were brought to the U.S. as children to live and work legally in the country. The application has to be renewed every two years. But as you said, recently there are new challenges slowing the process down. I came here when I was so young that I barely have any memories of my life outside of the United States. Angel Agalus was just eight years old when he arrived in the U.S. with his family from Honduras. He since graduated college and works at an electricity company. We went to the same elementary school. So tell me what it was like to grow up in Silver Spring, Maryland, and also why your family decided to come here.

We had a car accident, and due to the injuries that one of my brothers sustained, and we kind of had to drop everything and come to the United States for his medical safety. Coming to such a welcoming community, such a diverse community, and just had a good childhood. In 2012, Angel and his two brothers applied for the deferred action for childhood arrivals, or DACA status under the Obama administration. Last year, 261 DACA recipients were arrested and 86 were deported, according to Homeland Security. DHS also said DACA comes with no right or entitlement to remain in the United States. States indefinitely. You are always in fear of an ice raid just dragging you into a van and sending

you to a detention center. But in addition to that fear, there's a new challenge. The renewal process for DACA applications is taking a lot longer, putting their legal status and ability to work in jeopardy. From October 2025 to February 26, the median wait time for DACA renewals was about 70 days. That's almost four times the days compared to fiscal year 2025 when the wait time was about 15 days. I renewed my DACA would have been in 2014 and it took maybe two months. This current time that I'm trying to renew it, it's looking like it's going to take around seven, maybe even eight months. It's been recommended to file your application for renewal within 130 to 150 days of your expiration date. Now what we're running into is they're taking longer than 150 days, but they also could reject if you file before 150 days.

Tomorrow Castro-Marquez is an immigration attorney at Weir Casa de Maryland, an organization providing legal services and resources to those seeking legal residency or citizenship. She and several other legal experts are concerned that these delays are intentional. Tamara says the filing fee, which is over $500, can no longer be paid with a check or money. money order, but instead must be paid with a debit or credit card, creating some barriers for the DACA community. Another change? In the past, biometric scans and tests could be reused for each application. They have to go to one of the centers, do be fingerprinted, have their photo taken in order to then continue on with the process. I filled out the paperwork, sent it out in February, and it got returned. The lawyer that I was working with said that,

nothing really was off. I did it again in March, and the same thing happened before we finally decided to do it through the online portal, and it went through that time, luckily. But that did delay me by two months. What does that cost you in the end?

I might not have a job between now and the day that my DACA expires. If my DACA isn't here, how will I be able to feed myself, pay rent, Angel also signed as a part of a class action lawsuit back in 2017 that successfully stopped the Trump administration from getting rid of the program completely. But there's still another active lawsuit coming out of Texas. These policy changes have been pushed through with basically no feedback from the impacted communities. And so that feels very pointed, right?

It feels like it's intended to be cruel. It's intended to scare people. But Angel says he's going to continue doing everything the right way and isn't giving up. There's always hope in this country. There's always a dream that you chase in this country. And the fact that this is happening to us doesn't change the fact that the future can still be bright. Now, that last shot was Angel with his niece and nephew and really just shows what he's after, right? Quality time with his family and the ability to make new memories in this place he's always called home.

We reached out to DHS about this reporting and they sent us back a statement saying, under the leadership of President Trump, USCIS is safeguarding the American people by more thoroughly screening and vetting all aliens. DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country. Yeah, terrific reporting here. And Donnie, let's just take a look at this through the political lens.

Because, I mean, as we saw, these are human faces. These are human stories. And we keep returning to Trump's pledge that the deportation program would be aimed at the worst of the worst. And we have seen time and time and time again, DACA, just the latest example. That's simply not the case. Yeah. And what's important for the Democrats, we touched on this in the last segment, is they've got a focus on the fact of the injustices and that the majority of the people being deported are not criminals.

And these stories, these very human stories that we see there. So it's going to be an interesting play. All right, Donnie. Thank you very much. And MSNell reporter, Maya, England, thank you as well. Yes. Meek, before I go, Nixon's six. And Clayson, in Clayson, waiting for the Knicks to close out this weekend. And this story does not end unless the Knicks win in MSG next week. So a loss tomorrow is what you're saying. All right. Okay.

I think they're going to win. Does anyone have the sage out there at that stadium? Because they're going to need it. You can see an extended version by way of Magas, Maya's report on YouTube. Still ahead on morning, Joe. House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries will be live in studio. We'll talk to him about the upcoming midterm. the Democratic Party's plan to capitalize on affordability, and of course, the New York Knicks.

And before we go to break, Willie, what do you have planned for Sunday today besides the Knicks? Mika, I got another big one for you coming up this Sunday. He is the quintessential rock and roll frontman. Mick Jagger, Mick Jagger sat down for a great conversation about the Rolling Stones' new album, Foreign Tungs, and his long career. We talked about Keith. We talked about his relationship with McCartney, the rivalry with the Beatles. Got him to list his favorite three stones albums and tick through some of his favorite songs as well.

A great conversation with the one, the only, Mick Jagger coming up this weekend over on NBC Sunday today. And we'll be right back here on Morning Joe.