FILE - Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., speaks during a hearing on April 20, 2023, in Washington. Padilla is taking practically every opportunity to put his stamp on the Democratic Party's approach to immigration. The son of Mexican immigrants and the first Latino to represent his state in the Senate, he has emerged as a persistent force at a time when Democrats are increasingly focused on border security and the country's posture toward immigrants is uncertain. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)