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.
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