General Treasurer Frank Caprio on E-Verify and Immigration

Further to Justin's post, below is a transcription of General Treasurer's remarks on these matters.

AR: Do you support e-verify? Did you support e-verify?

GT: I wasn't in the Legislature for that. That was more in the last two years. So I didn't vote on that because I was here, not there.

I think we should follow the laws in this country. We're a country of laws.

You know, this isn't the first time this country has dealt with a large wave of immigration. Between 1915 and 1925, we had in Rhode Island the fifth most active port of entry in the country. And about 100,00 immigrants from mostly Italy and some from Portugal went through that port of entry at Fields Point. At the same time, Ellis Island was going full tilt and other ports of entry on the East Coast. And there was so much immigration of people from mostly that section of Europe that the Congress responded with the Quota Act in 1925 and effectively ended immigration at that point in time to America.

Now, my grandfather, whose picture is right there selling fruit from the push cart, he was one of the immigrants between 1915 and 1925 who came through that process. He was one of ten children. They all came, both that left Naples, Italy and came directly to Providence.

So I'm not against immigration. I'm not against people from foreign lands coming to America and being able to fulfil their dreams here. But we need to have a process in place that works for not only the country but for those who want to come here. Currently we don't and I fault people in Washington for that. It's a broken system.