Outrage after Democratic candidate calls for ‘American Zionists’ to be jailed in ICE detention center

A Texas Democratic congressional candidate accused of antisemitism has been condemned by her own party, after a campaign post called for “American Zionists” to be jailed in an ICE detention center.

Maureen Galindo, a sex therapist and housing activist, is caught up in an intense primary runoff for the state’s 35th Congressional District against Bexar County sheriff’s deputy Johnny Garcia, with voting due May 26.

She attracted backlash after she appeared on Texas Public Radio May 13 and declared that “anybody who is supported by Israel should be tried for treason” and repeated a number of antisemitic tropes alleging Zionist influence over the media and banking sectors.

Subsequently the Maureen for Congress Instagram account posted an attack on Garcia which claimed: “Johnny Garcia wants Jews and Mexicans in warehouses.”

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Over the course of seven slides, referring to Galindo in the third-person, it alleged that the “billionaire Zionists who control San Antonio and South Texas“ were out to smear her.

“When Maureen gets into Congress, she’ll draft legislation so that all Zionism and support of Zionism is undoubtedly Anti-Semitic, since it’s Zionists harming the Semites,” the campaign post said.

“She’ll turn Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking. (It will also be a castration processing center for pedophiles which will probably be most of the Zionists).”

The offending post also insisted “she would never blame ALL Jews” for loss of life in the Middle East, before adding “real Jews are VICTIMS of the Fake Jews (the Zionists).”

Asked about the posts by The Washington Post, Galindo said in a statement her proposal was “NEVER for Jewish Zionists – it’s for BILLIONAIRE Zionists” and claimed national Democrats had inflamed her comments. The Independent has reached out to Galindo’s campaign.

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Her rival Garcia, meanwhile, told TPR that members of San Antonio’s Jewish community have told him the offensive output is putting them off voting.

“It hurts people,” he said. “It gets people to sit out of elections and lose faith in the Democratic Party.”

The Texas Democratic Party has likewise rebuked Galindo, saying in a statement: “Antisemitism and hateful rhetoric have no place in the Democratic Party or in our communities.

“Maureen Galindo’s comments do not reflect our values as Democrats or as Texans. We believe in dignity, inclusion, and respect for people of every faith and background, and we unequivocally reject language that promotes hate or discrimination.”

The outrage has since reached Washington, D.C., with New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez urging Texans to vote for Garcia and calling Galindo’s words “absolutely disgusting.”

“This bigoted garbage and antisemitism should be nowhere near our politics,” she added.

Fellow representatives Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Jared Moskowitz of Florida said in a joint statement: “If for some reason Maureen Galindo wins the Congressional election in TX-35, as soon as she is sworn in, we will force a vote to expel her every single day we are here.

“Maureen’s insane, antisemitic views – including putting Americans in concentration camps – have no place in our party or our country.”

In a further statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic Congressional Campaign Chair Suzan DelBene accused Republicans of using a PAC to “secretly support” Galindo adding that said her comments were “disqualifying” and “extremely dangerous.”

Galindo and Garcia are competing for the chance to take on either John Lujan or Carlos De La Cruz, the two Republicans running in a parallel primary, in pursuit of a seat currently held by progressive Democrat Rep. Greg Casar, who is stepping aside to run in a different district.

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