16 Aug ILLEGALS Abandon Schools in Rhode Island


Enrollment drops in Central Falls

Jennifer D. Jordan
Journal Staff Writer

In Central Falls, the state’s most heavily Hispanic school district, student enrollment numbers are down by more than 400.

School officials aren’t sure what is behind the decline or whether the numbers will change before schools open. But they say the state’s sagging economy and the foreclosure crisis are probably contributing factors. Immigrant advocates say the enrollment dip is also linked to the governor’s crackdown on illegal immigrants.

While immigrant advocates worry about the departures, opponents of illegal immigration are pleased and say the state will save money.

The enrollment decline came to light at a news conference yesterday to announce the resignation of 8 of the 12 members of the Governor’s Hispanic Advisory Commission. The resigning members said the executive order had created a climate of fear that was affecting all immigrants, legal and illegal.

Rhode Island is one of 11 states — and the only New England state — officially in a recession. Unemployment hit 7.7 percent last month, the second-highest rate in the nation, and more than 1,800 homes were foreclosed on during April, May and June.

Saying illegal immigrants were costing Rhode Island too much money and that the federal government had reneged on its responsibility to enforce immigration law, Republican Governor Carcieri signed an executive order in March to crack down on undocumented immigrants.

The order instructs state police and correctional officers to receive federal training and work more closely with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enforce some immigration laws. It also requires state agencies and contractors to screen workers using a federal E-Verify system.

“Many families have had to leave,â€