PROVIDENCE — Governor Carcieri, who has led the charge to crack down on illegal immigration in Rhode Island, applauded the Obama administration Thursday for mandating that federal contractors use the federal E-Verify database to confirm the immigration status of new hires.

It was Carcieri who in 2008 signed an executive order requiring in part that state agencies and vendors use E-Verify to ensure that incoming employees are allowed to work in the United States.

Ironically, in signing that document, the Republican governor cited his frustration with inaction by the federal government, which, at the time, was led by the Republican Bush administration.

On Thursday, it was the Democratic president who received his praise.

“This certainly validates our decision in the State of Rhode Island to require businesses contracting with the state to participate in the E-Verify program,” Carcieri said in a statement. “The intent of my executive order was for the government to lead the way in respecting the law and, just as importantly, in supporting the workers whose jobs are often taken and whose wages are driven down by unauthorized workers.”

Until now at the federal level, the decade-old E-Verify program was a voluntary system for companies to check immigration statuses using Social Security data. On Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the Obama administration would require use of the system, starting in September, for all federal contractors including those receiving stimulus money.

Critics have long complained about accuracy problems with the database. The Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union has accused the program of being “riddled with significant flaws” that have been known to generate inaccurate Social Security information.

Napolitano this week insisted the system has improved

“The state, which employs over 14,000 people, has used the E-Verify system for almost a year. We have seen none of the problems conjured up by its opponents,” Carcieri said Thursday. “On the basis of our practical experience — using E-Verify for our own hiring and requiring it of our vendors — I can testify that it works, it is practical and it poses no threat to law-abiding people.”

In that same statement, Carcieri took the Rhode Island state Senate leadership to task for not allowing a floor vote on the related E-Verify legislation that would extend the immigration review to all Rhode Island businesses, not just those working with the state. The bill has passed the House three years running, but has repeatedly died in a Senate committee.

“I commend Representative [Jon D.] Brien and Speaker [William J.] Murphy for allowing the legislation to be voted on. I have no doubt that if it was allowed to be voted on by the Senate, the legislation would overwhelmingly pass,” Carcieri said “We need to act on this legislation, and I urge the Senate to take up this issue when they return to session this summer.”

The Senate has showed no sign of approving the legislation when it comes back to Smith Hill this summer. Calls to Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed through a spokesman Thursday evening were not returned.

cneedham@projo.com