Thread: R.I.: Gov.'s Hispanic commission asks him to rethink immigra

Gov.'s Hispanic commission asks him to rethink immigration order
By Ray Henry
Associated Press Writer / April 11, 2008

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Gov. Don Carcieri's Advisory Commission on Hispanic Affairs urged him Friday to reconsider his executive order cracking down on illegal immigration because it could lead to racial profiling and may be inspired by unverified studies.

more stories like thisThe advisory commission does not support illegal immigration, said its chairman, the Rev. Eliseo Nogueras. But he and others said they fear Carcieri's order could sow distrust between immigrants and police and government authorities.

Commission member Jenny Rosario, who comes from Puerto Rico, said she worried that police responding to Carcieri's order could single out Hispanics like her.

"Is this policy going to be implemented against all illegal immigrants, whether black, brown or whatever?" she said in an interview after a Statehouse news conference. "Immigrants are not only people of color."

Carcieri's order, signed last month, requires state police and prison officials to do more to find and help deport illegal immigrants. It also requires companies that do business with the state to verify that their employees are here legally.

Besides signing the executive order, Carcieri, a Republican, has also supported several proposals in the Democratic-dominated General Assembly that go even further, for example, requiring all private employers to verify the immigration status of their employees and making it a crime to knowingly rent a home to an illegal immigrant.

Rhode Island is facing a $550 million budget deficit that requires deep cuts in state spending. Carcieri has blamed illegal immigrants for financially stressing local school districts, the state prison system and hospitals.

Carcieri met with the commission Monday to discuss his order, but he does not plan to rescind or revise it, said his spokesman, Jeff Neal.

When signing the executive order, Carcieri cited studies from the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington estimating that there were between 20,000 and 40,000 illegal immigrants in Rhode Island, or less than 4 percent of the state's population.

Commission member Jaime Aguayo said he doubted the accuracy of the study and said Carcieri's office should conduct its own estimates before taking steps to stem illegal immigration.

"Someone sold the governor a bill of goods, and he took it," Aguayo said.

The commission invited Carcieri to appear at the news conference, but he declined citing a scheduling conflict. His spokesman said Carcieri spent Friday at home.

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If the membership of the state's Hispanic Commission do not make it a priority to help educate Rhode Islands Hispanics not to encourage illegal aliens the members need to be replaced.