A Democratic congressional candidate in Texas is facing fierce backlash after her campaign promoted inflammatory rhetoric calling for an immigration detention center to be converted into a “prison for American Zionists” that would include a castration facility.

Maureen Galindo, a therapist who finished first in the Democratic primary for a South Texas House seat, drew outrage after her campaign posted the remarks on Instagram while accusing her runoff opponent of participating in alleged Zionist trafficking schemes.

Galindo’s campaign claimed that if she is elected to Congress, she would pursue legislation targeting Zionism.

“When Maureen gets into Congress, she’ll write legislation so that all Zionism and support of Zionism is undoubtedly Anti-Semitic, since it’s Zionism harming the Semites,” her campaign wrote on Instagram last week.

The post then escalated further, declaring:

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

The Karnes Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility has frequently been the focus of demonstrations by progressive activists opposed to ICE policies.

The remarks came as Galindo’s campaign attempted to rebut claims by her Democratic opponent, Johnny Garcia, that she supports putting Jews into warehouse-style detention facilities.

Critics quickly pointed out that her own language about imprisoning Zionists in detention centers closely resembled the accusations she was trying to deny.

“The standard that Democrats rightly apply to right-wing antisemites must apply equally to left-wing Jew-haters,” the watchdog group StopAntisemitism said in a statement. “Democratic leaders must clearly, publicly denounce these bigots infecting their party without hedging.

“They must decline to appear on platforms with Hasan Piker. They must stop winking at extremist voices and truly stand for the principles they claim to stand for.”

Galindo led the Democratic primary in March with 29.2% of the vote, while Garcia received 27%, sending both candidates into a runoff election scheduled for next Tuesday after neither secured a majority.

The two candidates are competing for Texas’ 35th Congressional District, which stretches from San Antonio toward the Austin suburbs. The district is currently represented by Rep. Greg Casar, though Republicans recently redrew the district’s boundaries in hopes of making the seat more competitive.

“Instead of focusing on table-kitchen issues my opponent is pushing conspiracy theories and hateful rhetoric. That’s why Republicans are spending to boost her campaign,” Garcia wrote Tuesday on X.

Garcia has argued that Republican-linked groups are attempting to elevate Galindo’s candidacy through outside spending. Much of that attention has focused on Lead Left PAC, an obscure political organization that has reportedly spent $428,713 supporting Galindo, according to the latest Federal Election Commission filings.

Democrats contend the actual amount may be significantly higher. Records indicate the PAC has spent more than $1 million across three Democratic House primaries.

FEC filings also show that before the March primary, Galindo herself had raised less than $10,000.

“At a time when antisemitism is at historic levels, Republicans’ dirty campaign tricks aren’t just cynical, they’re extremely dangerous,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Madison Andrus told The Post.

“Republicans are spending nearly $1 million to uplift a violent antisemite — no matter what your politics are, using virulent antisemitism for your own partisan gain is nothing short of disgusting.”

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Christian Martinez mocked the increasingly bitter Democratic primary fight.

“Democrats Johnny Garcia and Maureen Galindo are tearing each other apart in a full-blown primary civil war, turning their own races into a circular firing squad.”

Martinez also took aim at Democratic leadership, saying House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ preferred candidates were struggling badly this election cycle.

“Hakeem Jeffries’ pathetic handpicked candidates were already staggering through the cycle with embarrassing fundraising numbers, zero grassroots energy, and no real support from Texans,” he told The Post.

Campaign mailers backing Galindo have highlighted her support for impeaching President Trump and dismantling ICE.

Galindo has also called for Garcia, a former Bexar County public information officer, to be tried for treason.

Throughout the campaign, Galindo has repeatedly attacked Zionists and has also targeted “Jews who own Hollywood,” echoing a widely condemned antisemitic trope.

{Matzav.com}