Thread: Dropping the Ball in Rhode Island

Continuing story of a Rapist

Federal agency, Providence police at odds over immigration checks

07:31 AM EDT on Saturday, June 21, 2008

By W. Zachary Malinowski

Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE — A spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement says that the Providence Police Department dropped the ball last year when it twice arrested a man, now suspected of rape, for other crimes and failed to check on his status as an illegal immigrant who had been ordered deported.

The Providence police counter that they passed the information about the arrests of Marco Riz, 26, of Providence, to the local ICE office, but the federal agency didn’t bother taking any action to have him sent back to Guatemala.

“This is an attempt to find blame,â€

For example, the police say, that an illegal immigrant will not come forward with information about a violent crime if they feel they might be questioned about their immigration status.

I would like to see a list of how many illegal immigrants have come forward to help solve a crime. Think there are any?