RI Leaders Spar With Ted Cruz Over Immigration Comments

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island leaders have been going toe-to-toe with Sen. Ted Cruz this week, after the Texas lawmaker suggested that Block Island should be used as a port of entry for incoming immigrants.

Cruz made the comments during an interview with Fox News, saying that places like Block Island, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket should be designated as ports of entry "so rich Democrats can be sitting there and suddenly see 10, 20, 30, 40, 50,000 illegal immigrants, like we're seeing in Texas on a daily basis."

Rep. David Cicilline said that Cruz "needs a geography refresher, [since] Rhode Island is not a border state."

Rep. Jim Langevin fired back harder.

"Keep Rhode Island’s name out of your mouth," Langevin tweeted. "These kind of bad-faith proposals do nothing to fix our broken immigration system. Get serious and quit the childish games."

During Tuesday's news conference, Gov. Dan McKee declined to comment on the subject, saying he didn't have anything nice to say about the senator.

Responding to the governor's comments, Cruz said that McKee "has two choices," that "'we’d love 2 million illegal aliens in Newport, RI!' or 'Hmm, maybe it’s not fair or right that Joe Biden is doing the exact same thing to Texas (and the rest of the country).'"

Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos called the response a "publicity stunt."

"Rhode Island is happy to do our part to house new Americans," Matos said "What we won't do is be part of your publicity stunt to demonize people seeking a better life in the United States. And by the way — unless they came from Mars, they're not illegal aliens."