Thread: Clergy to meet with R.I. governor over immigration crackdown

Clergy to meet with R.I. governor over immigration crackdown
April 25, 2008

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Religious leaders plan to meet with Gov. Don Carcieri to voice their concerns about his executive order cracking down on illegal immigrants.

more stories like thisThe meeting, set for Friday, will include Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin, Rabbi Alan Flam of the Rhode Island Board of Rabbis and the Rev. Donald Anderson, executive minister of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches.

The religious leaders have criticized an executive order Carcieri signed last month requiring state police and prison officials to identify suspected illegal immigrants for possible deportation. It also requires state agencies and companies that do business with the state to verify the immigration status of new hires.

A lobbyist for the Catholic Diocese of Providence says the bishop plans to tell Carcieri that his order is scaring Hispanics.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_ ... crackdown/

I find it completely ludicrous that some Hispanics and their supporter’s claim that enforcement of our immigration laws (and those of us that support that enforcement) are racist, xenophobic and anit-hispanic. This has no basis in fact, since illegal immigrants are comprised of many nationalities. It is true, though, that 75-80% of illegal immigrants are Hispanic, which is due largely to Latin America’s proximity to our borders. If these Hispanics that cry racism because the vast majority of Americans are against ALL illegal immigration want to feel “less persecutedâ€

Carcieri, clergy meet to ease fears on immigration order

01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, April 26, 2008

By Karen Lee Ziner

Journal Staff Writer


PROVIDENCE — Seeking to allay fears, Governor Carcieri yesterday pledged to form an advisory group to track implementation of his controversial executive order on immigration. He announced the pledge after meeting with the Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, leader of Rhode Island Roman Catholics, Rabbi Alan Flam, president of the Rhode Island Board of Rabbis, and the Rev. Donald Anderson of the Rhode Island Council of Churches.

Carcieri said the advisory group will meet “every three months as we go forward, just to get some feedback on what are the concerns.â€