Jamie Raskin: Tom Paine was an undocumented immigrant
Bing AI image generator depiction of Thomas Paine arriving from Great Brittain. (Bing AI Images)
Representative Jamie Raskin presented a case to prevent illegal alien kids from being “kicked out of the schools.” To help illustrate his point, he talked about Thomas Paine who immigrated from the United Kingdom to one of the British colonial provinces. Raskin described Paine as an “undocumented immigrant.” Raskin also showcased Thomas Jefferson, who the former claimed was a descended of a long line of undocumented immigrants on both his parents’ sides. Raskin also accused the Trump Administration as succeeding in denying non-citizen and citizen kids access to school and education.
From The Post Millennial:
In his opening statement at Wednesday’s Subcommittee on Constitution and Limited Government hearing, Raskin said, “I want to start by invoking Tom Paine, who was an undocumented immigrant who came to this land in 1774, two years before the revolution and wrote Common Sense, the pamphlet that ignited the American Revolution. And he said that this land, if it lives up to its ideals and its promise, would become an ‘asylum to humanity,’ he said. Not an insane asylum, but a place of refuge for people seeking freedom from religious and political, intellectual and economic persecution from all over the world.” He also said that Thomas Jefferson descended from “a long line of undocumented immigrants both on his mother’s side and his father’s side to the country.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin calls Thomas Paine an “undocumented immigrant, just like Thomas Jefferson’s family was. Most of our ancestors did not arrive here with documents.”
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) March 19, 2026
At the conclusion of Raskin’s opening statement, Rep Jim Jordan said, “I was just curious, Chairman, the ranking member said, I think his opening sentence was Thomas Paine was an illegal immigrant. My understanding was Mr. Paine was born in the UK, came to America, then a British colony, in 1774. So I was just struggling how he was…”
Raskin, who is the ranking member of House Judiciary Committee, which oversees the subcommittee, cut in, “I didn’t say he was an illegal immigrant, I said he was an undocumented immigrant, just like Thomas Jefferson’s family was. Most of our ancestors did not arrive here with documents.”
After a pause, Jordan said, “Oh okay, well, ok.”
Additional Reading:
Nightingale, H. (2026, March 19). Rep Jamie Raskin claims founding fathers were ‘undocumented immigrants’–they were British citizens moving to British colonies. The Post Millennial. Link.
Press Releases. (2026, March 18). Ranking member Raskin’s opening statement at subcommittee hearing on Republicans’ plan to kick kids out of schools. House Committee on the Judiciary; Democrats | Ranking Member Jamie Raskin. Link.
Category: "Teh Stoopid", Democrats, Historical, Society
Just when you think there aren’t any Democrats dumber than Sandy Cortez, a new candidate announces his/her candidacy in spectacular fashion. I’m only surprised it was Jamie Rat-skin and not Mad Max Waters.
The man should apply for Cirque du Soleil because that was some impressive contorting.
The native Americans were technically “undocumented immigrants”, Jamie. Other than the one on your head, do you have a point?
This is for certain: Based on his statement, Jamie Raskin is now a documented moron.
Thomas Payne and other colonists born in the British Isles (or elsewhere) were legally considered subjects of the British Crown upon their arrival in America.
As subjects of the king and the colonies ultimately under British rule, their moving from where they were born (England, Ireland, Scotland, etc.) was more akin to moving from one part of the country to another rather than emigrating to a foreign nation.
Yep. Absolutely!
In the words of Foghorne Leghorn… What a Maroon.
Was his birth certificate issued by the State done before or after he was birthed by his mother. If after than he entered the country “undocumented”
I thought dimocrats taught us that Thomas Jefferson was a slave holder that should be hated and discarded at all costs, even if the man’s ideals were instrumental in ending slavery and segregation later???
Hey idiots!!! Make up your mind!!!!!!
Do the D-rats TRY their hardest to be that stupid, or does it come to them naturally?
The Well of Idiocy runs deep for them, API.
There is no end to their idiocy, I’m sure they’re very proud if that given how they perpetually parade it for everyone to see!
Jamie, can you explain, in your own words, exactly how a man can be an “undocumented immigrant” in a nation that does not yet exist? Take your time. I’ll wait.
Or be an immigrant when moving from one part of the kingdom to another? The Americas was another LOCATION in the same country, not another country.
Excellent point.
Those sound suspiciously like facts…. and you know how facts confuse the morons on the left… our resident seagull is a perfect example, as apparently is Raskin..
“I didn’t say he was an illegal immigrant, I said he was an undocumented immigrant, just like Thomas Jefferson’s family was. Most of our ancestors did not arrive here with documents.”
Most of our ancestors didn’t have any documents, including birth certificates, passports, driver’s licenses, etc.
I wonder if the 1776 Chevy had fender skirts and a suicide knob on the steering wheel and an AM radio
Raskin probably believes there weren’t any pilots to fly planes, or conductors for trains back then.
Someone once wrote that government even at it’s very best was a necessary evil; is this what he meant?
That same guy also said that the elected representatives of the government should only serve briefly and rotate in with the body of the people so that they don’t lose touch and try to become a power unto themselves. I am curious if ten years is too long?
Lastly, the same guy also suggested that immigrants needed to sink or swim on their own, with only the most basic protection of the government through policing and military. So should we remove the other functions of government for immigrants?
I wonder how this vacuum head would feel about the ancient Roman Empire? A citizen of the Empire could travel and live from one end to the other and be just fine. No papers needed. Not to mention there wasn’t much in the way of “countries” back then as we know now.