Thread: Dozens arrested in immigration raids on RI courthouses

Dozens arrested in immigration raids on RI courthouses

Updated: July 16, 2008 10:54 AM EDT

The raids sparked a protest outside ICE headquarters in Providence last night.

Federal immigration agents have arrested dozens of contracted workers in raids on six Rhode Island courthouses.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Federal immigration agents on Tuesday arrested dozens of contracted maintenance workers in raids on six Rhode Island courthouses.

A spokesman for the Rhode Island judiciary said the raids occurred simultaneously at about 5 p.m. on Tuesday and targeted workers for two cleaning and maintenance contractors hired by the state.

Spokesman Craig Berke said the court system had forwarded information about the workers, who were not state employees, to the state police and to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement in early June.

"The investigation was initiated by the judiciary," Berke said. A spokeswoman for ICE confirmed the raids, although she did not say where they occurred or how many people were detained.

The raids sparked an angry protest outside ICE headquarters in Providence on Tuesday night. Activist Juan Garcia said the raids, which occurred in courthouses in Providence, Cranston, Warwick, Newport and South Kingstown, was an outgrowth of an executive order by Gov. Don Carcieri cracking down on illegal immigration.

That order, signed in March, forces the state to verify the immigration status of all new government hires, as well as the employees of any company that does business with the state.

It also directs the Rhode Island State Police and prison and parole officials to more aggressively find and deport illegal immigrants.

"All companies receiving money from the state will review the legal status of people," Garcia told The Providence Journal.
http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/ ... ?S=8682713

This is wonderful news...wonder just how many they arrested?

[Poster note - here's related coverage, but this time, the author 'names names']

UPDATE: Rhode Island Courthouse Immigration Raids Spark Protest, Debate
John Eagan

Story Created: Jul 16, 2008 at 12:25 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jul 16, 2008 at 12:28 PM EDT

Controversy is brewing after a highly coordinated immigration raid by federal agents saw dozens of Rhode Island contracted workers taken into custody.

About 100 people protested outside of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Building in Providence Tuesday night after several illegal immigrants were arrested during the raids. The illegal immigrants were working at 6 different court houses across Rhode Island, including Providence, Wakefield, Newport, Warwick and Cranston. According to the AP, the raids took place simultaneously around 5 pm Tuesday evening. Thirty-one people were taken away in all.

An immigration activist tells ABC 6 that 12 of the detainees have been freed so far, and the rest are with I.C.E.(Immigaration and Customs Enforcement) in Boston.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says the illegal immigrants were employed by two companies: Tri-state Enterprises employment agency in North Providence and Falcon Maintenance Company in Johnston. The immigrants are accused of using false identification documents.

ABC 6 reporter Malini Basu has the latest


http://www.abc6.com/news/rhodeisland/25506079.html

That order, signed in March, forces the state to verify the immigration status of all new government hires, as well as the employees of any company that does business with the state.

It also directs the Rhode Island State Police and prison and parole officials to more aggressively find and deport illegal immigrants.

"All companies receiving money from the state will review the legal status of people," Garcia told The Providence Journal.

SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? THE STATE GOVERNMENTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING THIS ALL ALONG....IT'S REALLY ABSURD THAT TAXPAYERS WOULD BE PAYING THE SALARIES AND WAGES OF ILLEGAL ALIENS ON PUBLIC PROJECTS AND PUBLICLY CONTRACTED SERVICES. THIS ARTICLE NEEDS TO BE SENT TO EVERY SINGLE STATE LEGISLATOR IN ALL FIFTY STATES.

STATE GOVERNMENTS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BE HIRING ILLEGAL ALIENS DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY THROUGH CONTRACTORS/SUB-CONTRACTORS. THE PUBLIC WILL NO LONGER STAND FOR SUCH ABUSE. [/b]

Enforcement is a wonderful thing.

About 100 people protested...

Should be changed to read "About 100 anarchists, illegal aliens, socialists and criminals protested..."

Yeah, I hear ya Z. I wonder how many are IAs themselves...???

For reference (gleaned from a couple of cursory web searches - public info accessible by all):

Falcon Maintenance -

160 Winsor Ave
Johnston, RI 02919
(401) 764-0966

Tri State Enterprises
436 Atwells Ave
Providence, RI 02909 Map
(401) 751-4300

The ones they let go were probably first offence, ordered to show up in immigration court...the others were probably deported before (now felons) or charged with felony ID theft

Keep up the good work Rhode Island. Taxpayers, citizens, legal residents etc. all across the country support what you're doing.

And please, do not be intimidated by the shrill voices and "angry protests" (i.e. creeping radicalism) of the tiny but loud minority of the pro-amnesty, pro-illegal alien, cheap labor crowd.

Every IA they arrest brings opportunity for a jobless American Citizen.