By JIM BARON

PROVIDENCE — Apparently not persuaded by arguments from a coalition of immigrants’ rights groups that an executive order he issued last week would worsen the problem of racial profiling and discourage immigrants from reporting crimes, Gov. Donald Carcieri says his administration will continue “to uphold the law as it currently exists.”

The letter, hand-delivered to the governor’s office by Immigrants United, We Can Stop the Hate Rhode Island and the Univocal Legislative Minority Advisory Coalition (ULMAC) as well as government officials and members of the Latino community, called Carcieri’s order, “the biggest attack on the rights of immigrants in Rhode Island in at least a generation.”
They called on the governor to meet with supporters of immigrant rights before the order goes into affect. If not, they called for General Assembly action to block the effect of the executive order.
“Will it affect undocumented immigrants or their American children?” asked the Rev. Eliseo Nogueras, president of the Hispanic Ministerial Association at a rally at the Algonquin House attended by more than 200 people. “Will it affect undocumented immigrants or will it affect all minorities as they become victims of racial profiling? To indiscriminately punish, across the board, those who cannot defend themselves is not going to make this complex and sensitive issue disappear.”
Warning that the order could “sow distrust between immigrants and police who are now required to help enforce federal immigration law,” Steven Brown, executive director of the Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, said people may now be afraid to report crimes or come forward as witnesses.
“That status quo has been shattered with the governor's order, and I think it really is imperative that the General Assembly step in and address at least some of the most egregious aspects of the order or else it will be a big step backward for Rhode Island,” he said.
The order calls for all executive branch personnel and contractors and companies that do business with the state to use the federal E-Verify system to ensure all their employees are legally eligible to work in the United States. It also authorizes the State Police and Department of Corrections personnel to work with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to identify and ultimately move to deport illegal immigrants.
In a written statement issued Monday, Carcieri defended his order.
“The Executive Order I signed last week does nothing more than help Rhode Island state officials enforce the law,” the statement said, asserting that the governor was reiterating “his belief that elected officials have an obligation to enforce and support all federal, state and local laws -- including those barring illegal immigration.
 “America needs to reform its immigration laws,” Carcieri said, “unfortunately, the federal government has failed to enact the necessary reforms.  As a result, elected officials across America must support and enforce the laws currently on the books.”
“As the grandson of immigrants and as a former businessman, I am a strong supporter of legal immigration,” Carcieri’s statement said.  I support allowing more legal immigrants and guest workers to enter the country.  Legal immigration made America what it is today and legal immigration helps drive our nation's economy. “Illegal immigration, however, is an entirely separate issue.”
The Republican chief executive implied that he sympathizes with the plight of illegals, but then notes their problems are of their own making.
“As I said last week, illegal immigrants face many daunting challenges,” Carcieri said.  “In search of a better life, they are forced to live in the shadows and take risks that nobody else must bear.  That people must live that way is terribly unfortunate.  But it is also the direct result of decisions that people make to come to and live in America illegally.”
— with AP wire reports