Update: Court raids nab 31 on immigration violations
5:37 PM Wed, Jul 16, 2008 | Permalink
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The suspected illegal immigrants, from Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil and Mexico, worked for Tri-State Enterprises, of North Providence, and Falcon Maintenance, of Johnston. All are believed to be maintenance workers. Bruce Foucart, special agent in charge of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of Investigations in Boston, said they are suspected of identity theft and document fraud, using fake identification to get work. If they end up being charge criminally, they face potential prison time and deportation. The workers were arrested on administrative immigration violations as "part of an ongoing criminal investigation," said Paula Grenier, ICE spokeswoman in Boston. "No one has been charged criminally. They are charged with being in the country illegally." Twelve of the 31 were released for humanitarian reasons, such as being primary caregivers for children, Foucart said at the news conference. The rest are being held, but officials have refused to say where. Watch video of the news conference. Craig Berke, a court spokesman, yesterday said the state judiciary initiated the investigation that led to arrests. "In early June, we forwarded evidence to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Rhode Island State Police," he said. Berke said those who were arrested "are not state employees. They are not employees of the judiciary." The raids happened during the first meeting of a governor's advisory panel charged with monitoring any "unintended consequences" of Governor Carcieri's executive order cracking down on illegal immigration. The order issued in March requires that state police be deputized with certain immigration enforcement powers. The courthouses involved are: the Garrahy Judicial Complex and the Licht Judicial Complex, both in Providence; the McGrath Judicial Complex in Wakefield; the Murray Judicial Complex in Newport; Kent County Courthouse in Warwick, and the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal in Cranston. Aside from law enforcement officials, among those responding today to the raids -- which the State Police refused to label the action as -- were Governor Carcieri, community members upset by the arrests, and spokesmen for the two firms who employed the workers. In the two Providence courthouses, those workers were just starting their shift at 5 p.m. yesterday and would have normally stayed till 9 or 10 p.m. In the other courthouses, the workers come in earlier and are normally done by 6 p.m. Asked about the timing of the raids, Corrente said, "The best information we have is this is a coincidence." He said the date for the raids had been set for "a couple of days." Rhode Island State Police Supt. Col. Brendan Doherty, who also spoke at the news conference hosted by U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente at the U.S. Attorney's Office in downtown Providence, said he spoke with Carcieri's chief of staff, Brian P. Stern, "four or five days ago" regarding the upcoming sweep. But Doherty, a member of the advisory panel, said he didn't mention the raids at the State House meeting, also attended by the governor, because the investigation was still ongoing. Asked if it was a coincidence that the raids -- which began at 5 p.m. -- coincided with the first meeting of the advisory panel -- which convened at 4 p.m. -- Doherty replied, "Absolutely." Governor Carcieri this afternoon denied having any direct involvement in last night's arrests. "We had nothing to do with this. This is completely independent of anything to do with the state level," the governor said during a brief impromptu news conference outside the WPRO office in East Providence this afternoon, where he was scheduled to tape a series of unrelated public service announcements. Carcieri also said it was a "complete coincidence" that the sweep occurred during the first gathering of his 27-member advisory panel charged with monitoring "unintended consequences" of his executive order earlier in the year cracking down on illegal immigration. "I just heard about [the action] -- got a heads up the day before," Carcieri said. "It was pure coincidence. I think that that committee is still important." Carcieri continued: "The federal government has a job to do; immigration has a job to do. They're going to do what they have to do... These are activities they're undertaking on their own. They give us a courtesy the day before of alerting us to it, but we have no involvement whatsoever." Listen to the governor's comments. At the panel's meeting, Doherty said that the state police would not be conducting any immigration raids or sweeps. But, he said, Rhode Island is not a "sanctuary state, and if we find someone who is here illegally or unlawfully, we will notify ICE." When asked today about that statement, Doherty said yesterday's actions were not raids. "These were arrests," he said. "This was not a raid. This was a police action, these were arrests. State police will not be conducting raids and sweeps..." Foucart said he could not say where the suspects were being held. "That's too sensitive a question," he said. All suspected illegal immigrants have due process, he said, and removal proceedings. Foucart said they are suspected of identity theft and document fraud, using fake identification to get work. "Simply put," he said, "Ilegal aliens using fake documents to work in the U.S. are a vulnerability to sensitive security sites." If they are found guilty of a crime and sentenced to jail time, they serve their time, and are then deported, according to Foucart. This afternoon, about 50 people, many of them each holding one white carnation, gathered outside the Garrahy Judicial Complex in Providence to denounce the arrests. Watch video of the rally. -- With reports from projo.com staff writers Jack Perry, Brandie Jefferson, Michael McKinney, and Journal staff writers Karen Ziner, Steve Peoples and Tom Mooney One of the speakers, Steven Brown of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, referred to yesterday's meeting of the governor's advisory panel on immigration issues, saying state police were saying "no raids were being planned at the same time these raids were being executed." And, in reference to ICE official Foucart saying all suspected illegal immigrants have due process rights while refusing to say where they are being held, Brown said: "Until this day, I would never expect anyone to equate due process in this country with being held incommunicado." After being arrested, Brown said, people were placed into vans and some were taken out of Rhode Island, making it that much more difficult for families to know where to reach them. "There is nothing fair, compassionate or just about what happened to these individuals," Brown said. He added: "This is simply not a process that we as a country should tolerate for any individual." Brown also expressed scepticism about calling the actions arrests and not raids. Roxana Rivera, a representative of the Service Employees International Union, Local 615, also spoke at the news conference outside the Providence courthouse, surrounded by others standing in a horseshoe shape. "Raids do nothing to address the whole issue of immigration," she said, adding that they cause harm to communities. "We need comprehensive immigration reform," she said repeatedly, but did not detail what that would be. Speakers at the rally made comments in both English and Spanish. The rally ended with ceremony, as people were asked to come forward and hand a white carnation to two women who Rivera said were among the dozen out of the 31 who had been detained and then released. Each woman accepted hugs, and one cried throughout. This morning, a spokesman for Tri-State Enterprises would not comment. Frank Pirri, director of sales and operations for Tri-State, did say the company would be meeting with its lawyers this morning. Pirri earlier today would not confirm whether the workers did indeed work for his company, whose offices, he said, are located on Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence. In a statement late this afternoon, Pirri said: "TriState Enterprises takes all the necessary steps to ensure that all of their workers have the proper paperwork. All workers required to provide company with documentation such as numbers a valid photo ID and a driver's license or other documentation that is acceptable for other hiring purposes. TriState Enterprises also performs criminal background investigations on all workers. "TriState Enterprises will be conducting its own internal investigation as well as working with the proper authorities to ensure that any issues are corrected." This afternoon, lawyer George M. Capello, a registered agent for Falcon Maintenance, said there would be no comment from the company at this time. He said there "may be one in the future. We all need to get some information." Corrente said the investigation was ongoing, and therefore he would not say if either the companies were facing any charges. Early today, the scene outside the ICE building and the nearby Garrahy Judicial Complex on Dorrance Plaza -- one of the courthouses raided -- appeared to be routine, according to a reporter. People were going in and out as usual, with no sign of anything related to the raid. The courthouse didn't seem to suffer from a lack of maintenance. The lobby floors shined, and a first-floor bathroom appeared clean. CORRECTION: A headline on an earlier version of this report incorrectly said the 31were arrested on identity fraud charges. They face administrative charges, not criminal charges, at this time. 
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Isn't this a fine example of straining at the gnat whilst gulping down the camel? Isn't it grand of our valiant paper of record to cover the story with such gusto? Why yes, it is.
But isn't this the same ProJo that folded like a cheap camera in face of threats from gangsters who took over the old Rhode Island Hospital, www.lifespan.org, and stuffed Froma Harrop's inconvenient editorial down the memory hole? Why yes, it is. Why the double standard? Are some 'illegals' more legal than others? Do tell.
Will this 'first step' Judicial hose-out beget another? Who can say?
Some wonder how two privileged letters writen to RI Judges could have been intercepted by courthouse chivatos - snitches - and diverted to estate grifters in Naples, Florida, for use in a 'garbage lawsuit'. The suit was filed to stifle further exposure of Lifescam's 'creative fundraising' practices.
Clean up that mess, and the courthouse toilets will really shine.
Dr. Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
16 July, 2008
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Seriously...before everyone jumps on the "these poor people" bandwagon. If they had entered this country LEGALLY, got their papers and paid taxes like the rest of us then they wouldn't be going through this.
This is an example of....these people all worked for a company under the table. how do i know because none have Social security numbers to claim taxes and pay into the system like every single one of us do daily. So when they get sick etc...it's US from OUR tax dollars that are paying their health bills, their school bills. Seriously...is it fair for the to get a FREE RIDE while we work to make ends meat and pay into the system. all i'm saying is if you come to this country do it the right way and apply for legal status!!!!!!!!
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Oh well what a shame. The state wants to save money right? why dont they have prisoners who have nothing to do and who are in mininum security do thease jobs at the court house as eaither part of the sentancing or commuity service. or even if you pay them the prison rate?
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SEND EM' BACK!
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Great idea Gd! That's just what we need, convicts traipsing through the courthouse and judge's chambers. That sort of "out of the box" thinking is what's killing us in this state.
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The illegal immigrants were arrested because they broke the law. It is the responsibility of our law enforcement to arrest anyone that breaks the law in our country. It’s sad that these illegal’s came into the country, it’s sad that they were ignorant enough to bring young children or have children while they are here illegally, but that is their fault and no one else’s, certainly not the Governor or law enforcement. They broke the law! Thank you Governor for having the courage to do what’s right. The citizens of Rhode Island are behind you. It’s simple; if you break the law you are a criminal,criminal’s should be arrested and accept the consequences of “their” actions.
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This is the sort of stuff that needs to happen more often. They should punish the owners of these contracting companies to the fullest extent of the law for harboring Criminal Aliens. Take away the jobs and they will stop coming here.
I think I will sell my house in Taxachusetts and move to Rhode Island. At least your politicians and state law enforcement have the gonads to do something about the illegal immigration issue in this country instead of Harboring them like Cambridge is doing!
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The sweep swept up workers. They are, by definitin, breadwinners. Breadwinners have children and relatives who depend on them. Why assume they weren't paying taxes? Did you know that you don't have to be a citizen to have SS taken out? Who will pick up the tab for the emergency room visits those suddenly impoverished dependents will make? Who will now fail school because of a life disrupted? Who will become homeless because there's no more breadwinner? What landlord will not get the rent this month and face foreclosure? Who loses? RI taxpayers,that's who? Who wins? Carcieri. He's a lame duck angling for a new job with the right wing media. Nobody forced him to do this. Open your eyes. He's done it for himself. Border security and illegal immigration are problems for sure. But they are not the biggest problem we face in RI.
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Hey Mary.
I don't care. And 75% of the state's taxpayers don't care. SEND THEM HOME.
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The breadwinners are criminals! It is their fault that they made a bad decision and brought dependants with them illegally. I don't care if they are paying taxes, they broke the law! If the children are here illegally they don't belong in our schools. The illegals won't be homeless if they are sent back to their country and get a legal job. The illegals did this to themselves. This is one of the biggest problems we have in RI.
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