The Journal should research and report in depth on the recent enacted legislation in Arizona and New Mexico that addresses the issue of illegal immigration. The illegal population is leaving those states in droves according to local talk radio.

The moral obligation of this state is to the citizens and legal immigrants of RI. If you're not here legally, then you're a guest. You know the rule about guests. After your vacation, you need to go home.

I agree whole heartedly with what Gov. Carcieri is trying to accomplish. Give him your support. He needs to hear from the silent majority.

Very sad that a Governor of a New England state can be so narrow minded.

I wish the Governor would interface more often with those who direct and invest in The Rhode Island Foundation--the most forward thinking public foundation I ever worked with in my career thusfar during my tenure in Westerly,RI. This Foundation is so forward thinking in its policies and successful programs. It is also one of the largest public foundations in the U.S.A.

We all need to look at the gray areas and not think in terms of black and white. Many innocent
children will wrongfully suffer because of the Govenor's mandate.

Linda A. Ozga
Mystic, CT

If Carcieri backs down, all of us legals might as well relocate. STAY STRONG and fight for what is ALREADY the law!!! To the illegals- go unite in your own country, or come here legally.

The executive branch of government is supposed to enforce the laws, not make new ones, not "ignore " laws that the people may not like. As a governor, his position requires that he follow and enforce the existing laws, whether he agrees or not. I applaud his character in doing so and not bowing to political expediency. If the US citizens do want these laws, then they need to change them via the congress branch of government. That's how the constitution set up our legal system which has been working as well as any for 200 plus years.

The difference between my grandfather's legal immigration from Italy almost 100 years ago, and now, is that my grandfather came to a nation without a bunch of entitlements to take care of him. He had to make it without governmental help.

What a bunch of hogwash your draconian rhetoric is Governor. You are bastardizing history for the sake of making your point. You know darned well that when your grandparents came here there were NO immigration laws. At that time we were the land of the "give us your tired and your poor." These oppressive immigration laws that have been enacted in recent history are un- american and should be reversed on the state and federal level. They were put in place by Republicans just like yourself so they could be used as wedges against the american people. You should be working to see to it that we go back to the good old days of our grandparents when all you had to do was show up at Ellis Island and sign your name. Amnesty for all and an immediate end to these racist laws that are being used as racial profiling tools against a generation of american immigrants. Shame on you Governor!!

I had to laugh out loud when I read Miguel Sanchez-Hartwein's statement..."the biggest attack on the rights of immigrants in Rhode Island in at least a generation."

The immigrants he's referring to are here illegally and they know full well they in violation of our immigration laws and should not be accorded any more rights than other common criminals.

The Governor's executive order is a start. A lot more must be done. In the paper it said the groups delivered a letter to the Governor yesterday that calls his executive order "the biggest attack on the rights of immigrants in R.I. in at least a generation." Maybe they should read the order again. The order is for illegal immigrants.

The fact that they were chanting in Spanish makes it worse. What a slap in the face. I agree with the Governor on this one. Get rid of them

Classic case of tail wagging the dog. 90%+ of people in this state are in favor of the Governor's actions and these groups and the media make it out to seem as if this is a 50-50 issue.

If I park my car Illegally, I get a ticket, have to pay a fine and/or have the car towed to an impound area. Break the law; pay the penalty. This concept is fundamental to our system of civility.
If someone is in our state/country ILLEGALLY they are breaking the law and should be made to pay the penalty. It is still a simple concept to understand.
Many, many immigrants have arrived here Legally. Congratulations to them. They deserve our respect.
Illegals are no different than someone who commits an act of breaking and entering robbery of your home. It is a crime that gets very personal. It hurts all of us.
The Governor is right and the indignant socialists protesting his decision are wrong.
They are every bit as dangerous to our way of life as are the focus of this issue: the ILLEGALS!

Unfortunatly it is time for such action. In todays real life issues providing for the citizens of RI is much more important than providing for outsiders. If you were in a situation were you could only save your child or another child do you really believe that you would think twice. We have people who are legally part of our community, state, that need help and they are being negicted to take care of people who have no connection, no tax base, no real interest in the State of RI. Nevermind the middle class that for so long has struggled to make ends meet with no help from anyone but themselves. Lets solve our problems first before we try to solve the worlds. I am surprised, pleased and proud that The Diocese of Providence stepped up and agreed with our governor. Stand strong Governor Carcieri, God bless The State of RI!

These "groups" need to stop backing people that are breaking the law. All the Governor's order does is to enforce existing laws - the laws that at least 90% of Rhode Islanders support! As far as that joke of a lieutenant governor Roberts and the other pols and clergy that support these illegals - I am sooo glad that I didn't vote for these embarassments! PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE SAYING & REPRESENT WHAT THEY WANT FOR ONCE IN YOUR CAREER!!! I know that the fools that represent my district will not be getting my vote in the next election if they are backing this kind of illegal activity.

Linda Ozga refers to illegal immigration as a grey area, that must forward thinking. Is murder, drug dealing or speeding for that fact a grey area. We can't pick and choose what laws we follow and which ones we don't. Mr Thomson, in 2008 you don't enter this country under the rules our grandparents did, they weren't given the right to drive, collect welfare, free medical and many other things they get. Both of your comments make me sick.

Get over it people. These people are illegal and should be treated as such. They are draining the public coffers and making it more
difficult for the true citizens of the state to financially survive. They are not melding with others but their own and have no plans to do so. Having the National Anthem sung in any language but English is but one very small way they don't want to assimilate. If they are found to be illegal they should be deported to their native country with their children who are causing immense problems for the school systems. Any politition who believes otherwise should be voted out of whatever office they have because they are just pandering to ethnic factions.

Linda Ozga is wrong. Many innocent children will suffer BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF THEIR PARENTS WHO CAME HERE ILLEGALLY.

The letter calls Carcieri’s executive order “the biggest attack on the rights of immigrants in Rhode Island in at least a generation.”

The first thing we have to do is clarify the difference between "IMMIGRANT" and "ILLEGAL ALIEN". An "ILLEGAL ALIEN" is an INVADER of this Country...one who was not welcomed in. An "IMMIGRANT" is one who was invited in and has legal papers to prove this.

Why anyone would stick up for law breakers, people who illegally crossed the border with forged papers and stolen identities, or illegally over stayed a VISA and is a felon, is beyond me. Then the first thing they do is drop an ANCHOR, paid for by the American taxpayer. Then we put the child on Welfare. This is out and out RAPE of the American taxpayer, and I for one am fed up with it!

I am VERY proud of Governor Carcieri. I am very proud of Randy Terrill and Russell Pearce for passing laws in Oklahoma and Arizona. Other states have laws and hopefully all 50 States will step up to the plate and do what the Federal Government has FAILED to do. PUT AN END TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION!

I am not from the State of Rhode Island, but I definitely stand with Governor Carcieri.

As for you Democrat, bleeding heart liberals who seem to condone breaking the law, may I suggest you get a life.

As a State employee in a large Human Service agency in RI and retired US Army soldier I have very strong concerns for the direction we are heading. Even though cuts in State government threaten my career, they are necessary. With that, so too is it necessary to explore other burdens on State government.

I have said time and time again, RI is the smallest state and therefore should be the example and leader not just for illegal immigration studies, but illegal / fraudulent public assistance and waiting periods to establish RI residency, not just US residency, to be eligible to receive State Public Assistance.

My theory is simple. If we make a modest family income of $85,000 per year with no children to support, we try to donate to church and other charities. Perhaps $3,000 to $4,000 per year or more, in good times. In hard times we reduce that charity to $1,000 to $2,000 per year. The same has to happen with the State of RI. We cannot afford to take care of everyone. We need a 12 to 18 month (min.) waiting period for anyone that is not a RI resident to receive any public benefit from the State. This deterrent, combined with other reduction of expenses should contribute greatly to reducing the budget deficit.

We should also give the companies that hire illegals a one-time amnesty which would include a workforce shift. By this I mean, you get caught as a company, the State would waive the penalties if that company replaced the illegal workforce with citizens that are on public assistance or unemployed. The company would be allowed under this State program to continue to pay the $5 per hour (if that was the rate it paid the illegal worker) and not be subject to possible future health care legislation for any worker hired under this program. Can you imagine the offset to our public assistance programs if these private companies were paying the $5 hour x 8 hours per day x 40 hours per week portion? Then multiply by the number of workers yielded (potentially) by the "shift".

The Executive Order is an emergency mechanism. The RI Assembly now needs to pass more detailed immigration legislation, which would include the Governor's Order and also target those areas that cost the State government the most money - first. The waiting period should be a first step. Remember - this would be for ANYONE, not just illegals.

Finally, when the word "illegal immigrant" is used, let's not forget the countless Yugoslav, Asian, African, and many other White / European and former Soviet block illegal immigrants. I never once saw the word "Hispanic" or "Latino" in the Executive Order or any other targeted format where the term "illegal immigrant" was used in potential lawmaking.

Good Luck Governor --
Ron Sanda - Sergeant First Class
US Army Reserve (Retired)