ACI makes pact to remove illegal immigrants

Updated: Sep 9, 2008 11:34 AM EDT

Under the Rapid REPAT program, prison officials would work with federal immigration officials to identify illegal immigrants for deportation

CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) - Just as Rhode Island's Superior Court prepares to hear a lawsuit concerning the legality of Governor Donald Carcieri's Executive Order on Illegal Immigration, the Rhode Island Department of Corrections announced it has signed a pact with federal immigration officials to help identify and deport illegal immigrants in state custody.

As part of the Rapid REPAT program, prison officials will identify illegal immigrants serving criminal sentences for non-violent offenses and process them for removal before they are released from state custody.

"ICE must work closely with our law enforcement partners to aggressively identify and remove criminal aliens. Rapid REPAT not only speeds the removal of deportable non-violent criminals from the United States, but can also save taxpayers millions of dollars each year," said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Assistant Secretary Julie L. Myers.

The agreement is part of Governor Carcieri's Executive Order on Immigration, which directs the Parole Board and DOC to work with ICE on the parole and deportation of illegal immigrants convicted of crimes..

"With this partnership, ICE will become engaged in the process early on and provide the Department of Corrections and the Parole Board with pertinent information on illegal immigrant inmates prior to their parole eligibility date, speeding up the deportation by getting these inmates back to their respective countries in a more timely fashion," said Governor Carcieri.

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