Story highlights Republican claimed he called ICE on protesters

Accused Democrats of assaulting and threatening him

(CNN) A heated argument erupted between legislators at the Texas Capitol Monday afternoon, after one state representative claimed he called US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on protesters.

On the last day of the legislature's regular session, hundreds of protesters packed into the Capitol rotunda to protest Senate Bill 4 , the sanctuary city legislation that was passed and signed by Governor Greg Abbott earlier this month. The new law bans sanctuary cities and punishes local governments that don't comply with immigration laws and detention requests.

Republican Rep. Matt Rinaldi said in a Facebook post that he called ICE on the protesters, some of whom he said were holding signs that read "I am illegal and here to stay."

ICE said that "local enforcement and removal officers received no such call from local lawmakers."

After Rinaldi told some Democratic representatives that he had called ICE, the Republican representative claimed that one legislator "physically assaulted" him and that another threatened him verbally. Rinaldi said he replied that he would shoot the Democrat in self defense.

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