50 Park Lane
Providence RI 02907-3145

Phone: 401-222-3636

Fax: 401-222-3407

© 2026 Ocean State Media is a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Federal Tax ID: 22-2859005
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Scheduled TV Outage: Over-the-air and DIRECTV service may be interrupted Saturday, Oct. 31, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. due to transmitter maintenance. Cable and streaming will not be affected.

McKee Says He Stands With Rhode Island Immigrants Lacking Legal Status

Gov. McKee during a Statehouse news conference earlier this month.
Ian Donnis / The Public's Radio
Gov. McKee during a Statehouse news conference earlier this month.

RI police will continue to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on criminal matters, the governor said

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said he will stand with Rhode Island residents here without legal status, even as they face heightened immigration enforcement by the Trump administration.

State police, however, will continue to work with federal law enforcement officials on criminal matters.

“We’re going to continue what we’re doing. If there [are] people who are violating or criminals that need to be (arrested), we work with (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) — our State Police does that right now,” McKee said. “But we’re not going to be profiling or helping to, you know, create problems that violate the Constitution and we’re going to make sure we stand by the people that live in the state.”

The governor spoke at The Public’s Radio studio Thursday during a taping of Political Roundtable.

The Trump administration has signaled it may investigate and prosecute local and state officials who do not enforce its approach to policing immigration.

This story was reported by The Public's Radio. You can read the entire story here.

Ian Donnis has reported on Rhode Island politics since 1999, when he arrived in the state two weeks before the FBI raided City Hall and Buddy Cianci’s East Side home.

Donnis covers breaking political news, develops in-depth features and investigations, hosts One on One, a weekly long-form interview show, and writes a well-read Friday afternoon political newsletter. He’s been a political debate panelist on all four Rhode Island television stations and previously reported for The Providence Phoenix, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and The Associated Press.

Outside of work, Ian enjoys baseball, good food, and exploring Rhode Island. idonnis@oceanstatemedia.org. Subscribe to his weekly political newsletter here.
Latest Stories