Gov. Carcieri Orders Statewide Action to Curb Illegal Immigration

Gov. Donald L. Carcieri of Rhode Island (photo: ri.gov)

Gov. Donald Carcieri of Rhode Island signed an executive order yesterday (March 27, 2008) that requires state agencies and vendors to verify the legal status of all employees, and directs the RI State Police and the Dept. of Corrections to work with ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to ensure that federal immigration is enforced.

The governor held a press conference about the executive order on March 27, 2008, which New England Cable News covered.

The Office of the Governor also released a press release about the executive order, at ri.gov/governor.

"Unfortunately, the federal government has not effectively addressed the complex issue of illegal immigration. That means that governors throughout the nation must deal with the consequences," Gov. Carcieri said in the press release.

The governor's executive order includes six provisions.

First, the RI Department of Administration must use a federal government program, E-Verify, to electronically verify that all employees of the executive branch of government are legally eligible for employment in the U.S.

Second, the RI Department of Administration will require all companies, contractors and vendors doing business with the State of RI to use the federal E-Verify program to ensure that their employees are working in the U.S. legally.

Third, RI state agencies have the authority to notify those whose identities have been stolen or used improperly to get child care, health care, driver's licenses or other benefits.

Fourth, the RI State Police will establish a Memorandum of Understanding with ICE to receive training to assist ICE personnel in arresting undocumented immigrants.

Currently, if state police arrest undocumented immigrants, they must call ICE to determine if deportation will be pursued.

Under the new ICE partnership made possible by Gov. Carcieri's executive order, state police who have been trained by ICE will be able to access federal databases, process immigration prisoners and transport them to a detention Center.

Fifth, the Dept. of Corrections will also develop a Memorandum of Understanding with ICE to enable state correctional officers to have the authority and the necessary training to address illegal immigration issues at the Adult CorrectionsI.

This will allow Adult Correctional Institutions to perform some duties of ICE agents, such as investigating immigration status and preparing necessary documentation for those found to be in the U.S. illegally.

Sixth, the Parole Board and the Dept. of Corrections will work cooperatively with ICE to provide for the parole and deportation of criminal aliens. ICE therefore will become engaged in the parole/deportation process early on and provide the RI Parole Board with pertinent information on inmates prior to their parole eligibility dates.

"This will speed up deportation by getting these inmates back to their respective countries in a more timely fashion," Gov. Carcieri said in the press release from his office.

Gov. Carcieri's executive order is online at www.governor.ri.gov/documents/Immigration_Exec_Order_08-01.pdf.

The executive order is also available below.

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Source: EthnicNewz.org

Copyright 2008 New England Ethnic News, EthnicNewz.org. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express permission of the news source. Contact Newz for more information.

EXECUTIVE ORDER

08-01

March 27, 2008

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CONTROL ORDER

WHEREAS, most Rhode Islanders and most Americans are descendants of
immigrants from all regions of the world and Rhode Island continues to welcome new
immigrants who legally seek the opportunities that the state, its economy, and its
resources offer; and

WHEREAS, Congress and the President have been unable to resolve the problem
of illegal immigration, leaving the states to deal with the consequences of 11 to 20
million illegal immigrants residing in the United States, the number in Rhode Island
being between 20,000 and 40,000, more than the population of 32 of Rhode Island’s 39
cities and towns; and

WHEREAS, the presence of significant numbers of people illegally residing in
the State of Rhode Island creates a burden on the resources of state and local human
services, law enforcement agencies, educational institutions and other governmental
institutions and diminishes opportunities for citizens and legal immigrants in Rhode
Island; and

WHEREAS, in 1996 Congress amended the Immigration and Nationality Act,
8 U.S.C. §1373(c), to allow government entities or officials to send to or receive from the
Immigration and Naturalization Service information regarding the citizenship or
immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual and the federal government
established the E-Verify program to help employers electronically verify the employment
eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers; and
WHEREAS, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act
(IIRAIRA) added Section 287(g), performance of immigration officer functions by state
officers and employees, to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), and authorizes the
Executive Order 08-01
March 27, 2008
Page 2

Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to enter into agreements with
state and local law enforcement agencies, permitting designated officers to perform
immigration law enforcement functions pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement
(MOA), provided that the local law enforcement officers received appropriate training
and function under the supervision of sworn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) officers; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement can more effectively combat criminal activity
related to illegal immigration if federal, state and local authorities work on a cooperative
basis.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD L. CARCIERI, by virtue of the authority
vested in me as Governor of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations do
hereby order as follows:

1. The Department of Administration shall register and use the federal
government’s E-Verify program to electronically verify the employment
eligibility of new hires in the Executive Branch and the validity of their
Social Security numbers to ensure that all employees of the Executive
Branch are legally eligible to be employed in the United States and take
appropriate action against those that are not eligible for employment,
consistent with federal and state law. For purposes of this Order, the
Executive Branch of government is considered to be all agencies and
departments in the Executive Branch, excluding the offices of general
officers, said officers being the Department of Attorney General,
Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and General Treasurer.

2. The Department of Administration shall require that all persons and
businesses, including grantees, contractors and their subcontractors and
vendors doing business with the State of Rhode Island also register with
and utilize the services of the E-Verify program to ensure compliance with
federal and state law.

3. The Directors of each department and state agency in the Executive
Branch shall attempt to notify any person whose identity was stolen or
otherwise improperly used by any person in order receive any benefit,
including but not limited to child care, health care, any government issued
identification card, including driver’s license and non-driver’s license
identification, welfare or employment.

4. The Rhode Island State Police, pursuant to the authority set forth in
Section 287(g) of IIRAIRA and INA, shall work to secure a MOA with
ICE to receive training necessary to enable them to assist ICE personnel in
the enforcement of federal immigration laws.

Executive Order 08-01
March 27, 2008
Page 3

5. The Department of Corrections shall also work with ICE officials to
secure an MOA that will define the scope of state correctional personnel
authority to perform certain immigration law enforcement functions which
shall be subject to the cross-supervision of ICE and permit certain
correctional personnel to complete appropriate training and function under
the supervision of sworn ICE officers to combat illegal immigration issues
at the Adult Correctional Institution, consistent with federal and state law.

6. It is urged that all law enforcement officials, including state and local law
enforcement agencies take steps to support the enforcement of federal
immigration laws by investigating and determining the immigration status
of all non-citizens taken into custody, incarcerated, or under investigation
for any crime and notifying federal authorities of all illegal immigrants
discovered as a result of such investigations.

7. The Parole Board and the Department of Corrections shall work
cooperatively with ICE personnel to provide for the parole and deportation
of criminal aliens.

8. Nothing in this Executive Order shall be construed to supersede,
contravene or conflict with any federal or state law or regulation or deny a
person’s rights under the Rhode Island or United States Constitution and
to this extent employees of the Executive Branch may act independently
of this Executive Order in order to avoid such conflict or violation.

Copyright 2008 New England Ethnic News, EthnicNewz.org. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express permission of the news source. Contact Newz for more information.