ACLU battles R.I. on immigrants

The American Civil Liberties Union contends Rhode Island is "circumventing" a court finding on a program to find illegal immigrants.

The group asked a state judge Monday to find the administration of Gov. Donald Carcieri in contempt, The Providence Journal reported.

The ACLU originally challenged an executive order requiring contractors doing business with the state to use a federal system called E-Verify to determine that their employees are not illegal immigrants.

Judge Mark Pfeiffer found in September the state probably violated the Administrative Procedures Act and ordered officials to comply with it. Steven Brown, executive director of the state chapter of the ACLU, said it learned Monday the administration, while beginning the procedures required by law, had also reissued Carcieri's executive order as an "emergency" measure, something the ACLU said can only be done if there is an imminent threat to public safety or health.