Enough is enough!! Illegal means illegal and just like any illegal activity it needs to be enforced. If you want to come to the USA then follow the proper channels. Yes, we want the illegals to live in fear of deportation from all law enforcement because they did not follow the legal way to get here. And let's face it, the people we are getting in this country illegaly are not the doctors and scholars of their lands!! There is no logic to the fight against enforcing illegal immigration. The correct term is illegal aliens not "immigrants" or "undocumented workers". Call a spade a spade!

Bishop Tobin, butt out....take care of your church... you have enough problems there....leave the state to the Governor...illegal IS illegal...

The catholic church has been shutting down its schools and churches left and right in poor immigrant communities in this state. Why? Because they ain't got no money. So why would the church care whether the feds give them a free ticket back to their homeland?
And we don't see a whole lot of synagogues in South Providence, either.
Nope, all they care about is evangelizing in the rich retirement communities of RI, to old codgers who can leave them a little something in their will to atone for their sins. Alleluia!

Why are these religious leaders speaking out? What happened to separation of church and state? I really feel they have no business interfering. The illegals are illegal, here against the law, which means breaking the law. What a nerve these illegals have making demands on our government, let them go home and march and demonstrate on their own government, people in this country are fed up with them. Let them go home!!!!

I am sorry, but our economy is bad enough, our taxes are too high, our hospitals are too expensive, and my children and many of my friends cannot find employment. Much of this is due to Illegal’s. Most of them do not pay taxes, but reap the benefits of our roads, schools, etc. We pay for their share. (I personally know of two that have purchased SSN's on Broad Street and claim children they do not have so they do not have taxes taken out, these two make 14-15 dollars and hour-my children who were born here and my friends who are here LEGALLY would love to have a job!! They go to the Hospitals and are provided free services. Some of my friends have no health coverage, but when they go to the hospital-they get billed!! The illegal’s get away with most everything because not enough legal aliens and American Citizens speak up about it. I encourage all to voice their opinion and stop this. People wait years to come here legally and many of us were born here. It is not right for the illegal’s to be here and rape our system. I am sorry but even the illegal’s that try to work within the system and rules should not be here-NO CUTTING THE LINE-Line cutting is not fair for those who are waiting to come here LEGALLY and for those of us who were born here and have to make up their share, when we can barely afford our own households. This is a big part of why our country is going downhill, this needs to be addressed and fixed-send them back to the end of the line!!

Religious leaders are obliged to speak out because this is ultimately an issue that deals with human dignity. Not because they want to get tangled in controversial political fiascos.

Illegal aliens should be treated like Illegal citizens . They should be round up and deported back to where they came from . Then when they go through the proper steps to come here legally they would be more than welcomed. Until this happens they are bleeding the system of the resources that are for the legal citizens of this state. People living here legally are already paying to much for taxes , food, utilities , gasoline and other daily expenses. We certainly don't need to be paying for a free ride that the illegals get ( health , schooling and other basic needs). If you don't want to join us legally than get out and go back where you came from .

Unless the religous leaders care to share the expenses with the state and cities in supporting the illegal aliens, why do they consider it their business. What actually are they doing for this population now. All funding for the illegals' needs comes from state and city coffers. Only speak if you can offer substantial help to these people--otherwise butt out!!

L. Costa said it just right:

"SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE"... (PERIOD)

Jim T
AKA ..... "O'le Wat'z-I'z-Name"

Attention, attention. Immigration is the foundation of this country. You are a child of immigrants. The clothes that you wear are sewn by individuals in other countries. The food that you eat has been picked by immigrants. Who are we to decide who has a right to be here and who doesn't. When the economy was booming in the 60s and 70s we were "begging" immigrants to come into this country--and now that the economy is doing poorly, we are "shutting them out/kicking them out." The United States has contributed to world-wide poverty. Our corporations are "raping" other countries of their natural resources. Due to this fact alone, we should let anyone come here who wants to...it's our own fault they had to come here in the first place. Be open-minded...remember where you came from...I am nervous when I hear people make comments like the one's above...I am nervous for future generations...In fact, I'm just plain scared.

"Who are we to decide who has a right to be here and who doesn't."

Umm... The citizens and taxpayers of the sovereign nation of the United States of America.

Tell you what, try becoming an 'illegal immigrant' into Mexico. When you get out of their wretched prison system, come back and tell us all about how WE'RE horrible people for how we treat illegals.

Amanda, you and others like you are missing the key word...ILLEGAL. Yes, most of us are not Native Americans and our ancestors were immigrants but when they came here the vast majority did so legally and contributed to society and paid taxes and get this...THEY ACTUALLY LEARNED THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

To Amanda:
You have it backwards. It's YOUR attitude that makes us Americans who care about our future very nervous. Scary how you want to just let anyone and everyone live here. I suppose when they do come to our country, they shouldn't need to know English (I call it speaking American) either.

Notice how the pro-illegals always like to switch the topic to immigration and put the horse blinds on the "illegal" word. My parents came here legally. They learned English in the old country before they came here and wanted to assimilate completely, not turn their communities into their old countries. Drive through Central falls and Olneyville and tell me how many american flags you see... NONE.. Only foreign flags. They have no pride in this country. They only have pride in these third world countries that they came from and because of it, they turn their communities into the same. If your here legally, God bless you.. If your here "Illegaly", you knew the risk you were taking when you made the border jump. Get Out...It's like saying to a police officer that you were drinking and driving because you're an alcoholic and then not being arrested. C'mon people, open your eyes..

Are the chuches going to put out the money for illegal aliens to reamin here? Are they going to contribute to the cost of housing, feeding and educating people who snuck into our country? If not the churches need to butt out. Anyone from anywhere who came into the United State illegally, is an ILLEGAL ALIEN. If a man breaks into my house and lives in my basement undetected, and then after a time demands to move upstairs, do I say 'OK you've lived in the basement long enough to be a valid and legal member of my family?" I don't think so. I would call the cops and have him arrested for breaking and entering. Isn't that what the 'illegal aliens' are doing?

Some people just don't get it because they are too ignorant to understand. This is not a black & white issue. Yes, something had to be done about immigration...everyone agrees on that. But these new laws are taking it too far. When these new laws scare away victims from reporting a crime because they fear being deported....that's a problem. Imagine being a victim and not having anybody to turn too? that is why the church is stepping in, because it's a human rights issue, not for any political reason.
And yes, they are here illegally; but is it really wrong to seek a better life for one and one's families? Just because we were fortunate enough to be born in a life of prosperity doesn't mean we can vilify those who are less fortunate. Are we that selfish as human beings?

"And yes, they are here illegally; but is it really wrong to seek a better life for one and one's families? "

Of course not.

It IS wrong to invade another country, evade their laws, and then expect their citizens to pay for your family's education, healthcare, and housing because you came in without the skills or education to do it yourself.

Seeking a better life is not license to become a criminal. Do it right, do it honorably, or don't do it at all.

Json025h, do you have a nice house? I'm moving in with you and you have to support me and you don't have a choice.

THX.

Json025,
So all of us who oppose ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION are too ignorant to understand? Your ignorance jumps off the page, my friend. What are the "New Laws" you speak of? There are none, genius, Carcieri just wants to enforce the ones on the books. No raids, no detentions without Habeus Corpus, Json. But you can just make stuff up out of whole cloth, and call it the truth. Gimme a break. To have an arguement, one must have sustainable, and verifiable facts. You just call people ignorant, and cite phantom laws that don't exist. So, who's the ignorant one, Json?

I don't think that most people have a problem with immigrants who come to this country legally. They add to the economy and the diversity of this country as did our ancestors. However, as an ancestor of an immigrant, I resent illegals coming to this country and getting the benefits that our ancestors and we now work hard for and pay taxes for. If I commit a crime here, you can bet I will be tried for it and punished for it. Why shouldn't they be? Their being here illegally is a crime and our prisons are too full to punish those who do not come into this country according to the law. I think the new execultive order should remain. It is about time someone stood up for those who do things the right way. I'm sick of those who can't follow the rules being considered "victims".

Contrary to popular belief....ILLEGALS DO PAY TAXES!!!
If you want to argue the issue properly, argue that they obtain employment under false documentation.
As an HR professional working with the E-verify system everyday, I think I know a little more about this topic then you.
What they do is obtain false documentation to apply to companies. Those companies that do not use E-Verify cannot deny employment even if they suspect the documentation to be fake due to discrimination laws. As employees hired under false employment they ARE REQUIRED to pay taxes!!!
Your arguement that they do not pay taxes is inaccurate my friend. Argue for every company to use E-verify and you'll have better results!

Json,
"An H.R. Professional?" You are a Professional Liberal Lunatic. Do you know what Mexico's biggest revenue stream is, after illegal drugs? No, I didn't think think so, so I'll tell ya. It's money illegals who are here send home to their relatives. You can look it up, Json. Now go campaign for Obama.

It's about time that someone took action on the illegal immigration situation. I think that the citizens of RI should back the Governor and applaud him for his courage. He is taking the bull by the horns.We elected Governor Carcieri in hopes that he would straightened out the state now that he is trying to get it back on a sound economic footing, all I hear is criicism.The illegal immigrants in the state are causing the state to eventually become bankrupt.They put a financial strain on our educational system,our medical facilities,our justice system, and our welfare system. Something has to be done.The matter concerns only the illegal immigrants who are law violators and hench criminals without rights. Perhaps it would be wise for our religious leaders to remain neutral in this matter since our country was founded on a seperation of church and state doctrine.The churches should be more concerned about the legal citizens that are losing their homes, that are out of work,that are cold because they can't afford to pay their oil bills,the homeless who are living under overpasses and in soup lines to eat. These are the people the church should be concerned about.

The governor’s order is valid and necessary to preserve the Constitutional rights and quality of life for legal residents of this state. If we fail to enforce our laws and continue to overlook the transgressions of illegal immigrants, we commit a disservice to law-abiding citizens. The financial burdens placed on our education, health, and law enforcement systems are becoming insurmountable. Supporting illegal immigrants is functionally crippling people and businesses throughout the state. There are no spiritual implications that need to be considered in analyzing the validity of the governor's order. In reply to Mr. Anderson's comments about God's kingdom, I say, "Even God has his Ten Commandments. We have our laws. Please follow them."