PROVIDENCE — Having signaled their intentions several times in the past few weeks, 8 out of 12 members of the Governor’s Hispanic Advisory Commission say they have resigned. They were scheduled to make an announce at a news conference at the State House this morning.

The resigning members are Jaime Aguayo, Jorge F. Cardenas, Juan Garcia, Mario Mancebo, Elida Picard, Magdalena Picot, Jennie Rosario and Bruno J. Sukys.

Sukys also resigned several weeks ago from a separate governor’s advisory group that is monitoring implementation of the executive order on illegal immigrants.

The Rev. Eliseo Nogueras, chairman of the Hispanic advisory commission, is one of the four members who have decided to stay on; the three others are Dr. Antonio Barajas, Ray Guzman and Rebecca Flores.

Resigning commissioners cited “decisions and policies enacted by Governor Carcieri that have hurt the immigrant and Latino community, the most recent being the raids in the Rhode Island state courthouses,” as their reason for leaving the group.

Aguayo said the governor’s executive order cracking down on illegal immigrants, and data the governor used to support that order, factored heavily in the resignations.

“To establish this public policy, the governor used incorrect data … and he’s not willing to retract [the order] or at least take one step back and say, ‘Let’s get the right data. Let’s get the right information and move forward,’ ” Aguayo said.

“He didn’t even listen to us. He didn’t even alert us to the fact that he was having his executive order. Essentially we weren’t good enough to be his advisers. We were just [a] showcase,” Aguayo said.

The departing members said “the Rhode Island Latino community deserves an explanation” from the governor.

Nogueras, the chairman, said that while the department members “have their reasons for resigning, and we respect those reasons, we feel our community needs a lot of representation at this time, and we can work better within the system” to effect changes.

Barajas, another remaining commissioner, said the eight who are leaving “have had this in mind for quite some time, and apparently the feelings have reached quite a momentum. I can only respect their decision and wish them well and encourage them to be leaders in the community and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.”

Barajas said the group “will continue to exist, and we will look for highly committed, dedicated members in the community who will want to serve in the future.”

Carcieri spokeswoman Amy Kempe said the governor “appreciates the service of the individuals to the commission, their commitment to the promotion of the Hispanic and Latino community and to the State of Rhode Island.”

She said Carcieri remains committed to the commission, and will seek new members to fill the open posts. She also thanked Nogueras, the chairman, and three other members who have decided to stay on.

Kempe added, “The Hispanic community is an important part of the fabric of the Rhode Island community and they will continue to have a voice in the Carcieri administration.”

Commissioners last week accidentally issued a news release announcing their resignation.

kziner@projo.com