State Rep. Austin Theriault (R-Fort Kent), the Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in Maine’s second congressional district, took to X on Friday to criticize U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) for his oppositions to Trump Era border policies — policies President Joe Biden ended almost immediately upon taking office.
[RELATED: Biden Announces Path to Legal Status for Over Half a Million Illegal Aliens…]
“After 3.5 years of open border policies, Biden now wants to give 500k illegal immigrants asylum. Jared Golden has stood with Biden’s border policies for years, and the crisis is only getting worse,” said Rep. Theriault on X.
In his first hours as president, Biden halted construction of Trump’s $16 billion border wall and sent an extensive immigration bill to Congress, where legislators have long been divided between easing the path to U.S. citizenship and curbing unauthorized immigration.
Biden also prompted U.S. border officials to end the so-called “Remain in Mexico” policy, which required migrants requesting to asylum to remain outside of the U.S. while their cases were adjudicated. That policy was widely regarded as an effective tool for preventing ineligible migrants from exploiting America’s asylum system.
At the time, Jessica Anderson, director of the political advocacy arm of Washington-based Heritage Foundation, predicted what the policy change would bring about.
“By resuming the pre-pandemic pace of visas, abandoning common-sense asylum policies, and increasing the burden on our strained social safety net, these orders will advance a dangerous open-borders policy, take away jobs from Americans struggling to find employment, and kneecap America’s economic recovery from lockdowns,” Anderson said in a statement.
Rep. Golden has recently tried to portray himself as tougher on illegal immigration than other Democrats, many of whom support President Biden’s open border policies.
Early this year, Golden pushed a “compromise” border bill, which would make a few border concessions, such as allowing Border Patrol to process illegals for more swift deportation, while giving out billions in foreign aid to Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine.
The compromise bill allowed anyone crossing the border illegally to make an asylum claim, which would then require a lengthy hearing process before the illegal could be deported.
If it had passed, it would have left the current asylum system — which even U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has said is being gamed by non-eligible illegal aliens — essentially intact.
In many cases, illegals aliens only request asylum when they have a law enforcement encounter after having entered the U.S. illegally. Such claims are referred to as “defensive” asylum claims. In those cases, the non-citizens are typically released on parole into the U.S. with hearings dates set as far as five years into the future, allowing them to live in the country without fear of deportation until then.
Under Golden’s compromise bill, any non-eligible illegal alien could make a defensive asylum claim and the federal government would allow them to stay in the country for up to five years or more while waiting for their claim to be processed.
Golden, who is running in a district which has historically voted for former President Donald Trump, has spoken out against Biden’s border policies, but nevertheless voted in April for a massive $95 billion foreign aid package, which came without any funding for border security.
Rep. Theriault, who has been endorsed by President Trump, used his post to call out Golden’s voting record on border security in the wake of Biden’s announcement that he is granting a path to legal status for over half a million illegal immigrants.
Theriault highlighted Golden’s past opposition to Trump Era border security measures and his failure to condemn Biden’s rescission of those policies, which contrasts sharply with his recent attempts to appear tough on illegal immigration.
Biden’s open border policies have led to a devastating surge in crime across the country, throughout New England, and in Maine itself, where illegal immigrants are overwhelming social safety net programs in large cities such as Portland.
The Maine Wire has documented a gang of illegal immigrants are accused of executing an elaborate conspiracy to steal from Home Depots throughout New England, including in Maine. The ringleaders of that gang of illegal alien Guatemalans were recently indicted on federal charges for their role in the alleged conspiracy.
Massachusetts has seen its taxpayer-funded illegal immigrant shelters, many of which were formerly hotels, turn into hotbeds of crime.
Residents of the shelters have committed numerous violent crimes, and The Maine Wire has documented multiple instances shelter residents who have been accused by law enforcement or shelter administrators of committing child sexual abuse.
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In Maine, a woman from Albion was killed after an unlicensed illegal immigrant, Oguzhan Cildir, 23, struck her vehicle after reportedly driving his Toyota Prius erratically and at a high rate of speed.
Immigration officials confirmed to the Maine Wire that Cildir entered the U.S. illegally over the southern border in January.
Theriault urged voters to support him so that he can help secure the border and stop the illegal immigrant crime wave.
“The systems are being overwhelmed by all the illegals coming across, we’ve gotta put a stop to that now. I need your support to win this congressional race so we can secure the border, we can put Americans first,” said Theriault.
Keep hammering Golden on his open borders, 2A, ties to Soro’s, green energy the list is long.
Golden only votes against his party after votes are totaled up and he knows his vote is meaningless
For the sake of the country and the state, Golden MUST be removed and replaced!
Golden has proven he does not represent Maine!
Jared have you found any of the 85,000 illegal kids with out parents Joe has lost?
and you support this policy.
Gee, I cannot imagine why Rep. Golden would oppose separating children from their parents. The result was countless children were never reunited with their parents. That’s such a strong Christian belief among Republicans, abandoning children is what God wants all of us to do.
I hope Golden can get voted out this November .
He is a loser picked by other losers in the Democrat’s ranked choice voting scheme.
Get him outta here .
Voting these people out is the only way to get rid of them .
Golden like other Democrates supports their leader Joe Biden. Remember Joe Biden who has a grand dougher he does not love, nor does he love a 12 year old in Texas, nor does he love 85,000 missing illegal childern. But our four Bright bulbs in the Democratic party love Joe. Scheliee, Angus, Golden, and our Governor step up and denounce our president’s boarder!!!!
Child Sex Slavery is fully operational with the US Govt as the middleman in trafficking. This EX Marine is a part of the apparatus that has and is facilitating this abomination of horror. Forget politics. He is a Huige disgrace the Unites State Marine Corps
Golden has the deaths of lots of Mainer’s on his hands, how many overdose deaths last month and all the previous months Jared. Maybe have some families affected by his open border policies can make an ad.
Austin is no different Than GOLDEN — Anyone who thinks he is has absolutely zero intelligence .Austin was “to busy” to be in attendance to vote on Firearms legislation in the Maine House , Just one of 47 times he missed a vote …. Theriault held the door open for The AFRICAN FREELOADERS that moved into the FREE HOUSING in Brunswick that he voted for … Theriault has no problem kicking Americans to the Curb , There is ZERO difference between these two but you REPUBLICUCKS had to vote in this PHONY to run .If your reply is he is better than Golden -You just lost your Argument. Make no mistake The Maine Wire and VOM are in the “Tank” for BOY AUSTIN