PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri this afternoon signed an executive order he says will strengthen efforts to respond to illegal immigration problems, in part by expanding the authority of the State Police to help with identifying and arresting illegal immigrants.
According to Carcieri's office, the order requires state agencies and vendors to verify the legal status of all employees and allows the state to inform people whose identity was stolen.
It also directs the State Police and the Department of Corrections to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ensure federal immigration law is enforced.
Topics: Illegal Immigration, Governor Carcieri, State Police training, verify legal status, employees, Department of Corrections, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Executive Order, state resources burdened, Department of Administration, E-Verify program, federal database access, Wyatt Detention Center, Adult Correctional Institutions, ICE, Parole Board, deportations, child care, health care, driver's licenses, Department of Homeland Security, Memorandum of Agreement, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Social Security, Rhode Island, enforcement needed
March 27, 2008
The Providence Journal Co.
“Today I am issuing an Executive Order which will enable a vast array of state government agencies to better address the issue of illegal immigration in Rhode Island,” Carcieri said in a press release.
“I want to make one thing very clear: I support increasing the quotas to have more legal immigrants in the United States. I also support granting more work permits. This is not about taking a hard line against immigrants," said the governor, who described himself as the grandson of immigrants from Italy and Sweden. "It’s about making sure that those who come here can realize their goals of economic security and a better quality of life.”
The executive order sets up its provisions by saying "Rhode Island continues to welcome new immigrants who legally seek the opportunities that the state, its economy, and its resources offer."
But Congress and the president have "been unable to resolve the problem of illegal immigration, leaving the states to deal with the consequences of 11 to 20 million illegal immigrants residing in the United States," adding that 20,000 to 40,000 live in Rhode Island.
Having "significant numbers" of people living in the state illegally puts "a burden on the resources of state and local human services, law enforcement agencies, educational institutions and other governmental institutions and diminishes opportunities for citizens and legal immigrants in Rhode Island," the order adds.
* The state Department of Administration will require all companies, contractors and vendors doing business with the state to use the federal E-Verify program to ensure their employees are working in the country legally. Carcieri's office said states that have recently enacted similar measures include Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.
“By ensuring that there are no illegal immigrants employed in the executive branch and that those who do business with the state do not employ illegal immigrants, we are setting an example for others to follow,” Carcieri said in a statement. “This will encourage the private sector to comply.”
* The State Police will reach an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), known as a memorandum of understanding, to get training to help immigration enforcement personnel in arresting illegal immigrants. At this time, if the State Police arrest illegal immigrants, they must call ICE tp find out if deportation will be pursued. With the new agreement, the State Police who have been trained by ICE will be able to access federal databases, process immigration prisoners and transport them to the Wyatt Detention Center.
* The state Department of Corrections will also have an agreement with ICE to give state correctional officers authority and training to "address illegal immigration issues" at the Adult Correctional Institutions, in Cranston. It will allow certain prison personnel to do some duties of ICE agents such as "investigating immigration status and preparing the necessary documentation for those who have been found to be in this country illegally. This will streamline the process and make it more efficient," the governor's office said.
* The Parole Board and the state Department of Corrections will work with ICE personnel to "provide for the parole and deportation of criminal aliens." The governor's office stated that will enable ICE to get involved in the process early on and provide the Parole Board with information on inmates before their parole eligibility date.
“This will speed up deportation by getting these inmates back to their respective countries in a more timely fashion,” Carcieri said in the statement. “It will also be more cost effective. We will no longer bear the financial burden of providing housing or rehab treatment to these non-violent inmates.”
* State agencies will have authority to notify those "whose identity was stolen or used improperly to receive benefits such as child care, health care or a driver’s license."
According to the order, a section added to federal immigration law -- "performance of immigration officer functions by state officers and employees" -- authorizes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary to make agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, "permitting designated officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement."
Federal immigration law, as amended in 1996, allows government entities or officials to send to or get from the Immigration and Naturalization Service information on someone's immigration status, the gvoernor's order states. The federal government set up a program called E-Verify to "help employers electronically verify the employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers."
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