But U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott insisted that there has been no change in U.S. policy on the exclaves. “The United States unequivocally supports Spain’s sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla,” he told POLITICO. The State Department noted that the congressional report did not represent U.S. law. He also argued the Spanish government was solely to blame for the crisis in the exclave, into which 72,000 unauthorized migrants surged last week. “The invasion of tens of thousands of migrants into Ceuta is a direct consequence of the Spanish government’s refusal to defend their sovereignty, secure their borders, and protect their people,” he said.