PROVIDENCE –– A key Hispanic leader broke ties with the state Republican Party yesterday, protesting Governor Carcieri’s recent efforts to curb illegal immigration.

David A. Quiroa, chairman of the Rhode Island Hispanic Republican Assembly, said that Carcieri’s moves would promote racial profiling and reflect the Republican governor’s “trend” of “making policy changes … without really thinking through the social consequences.”

Quiroa was appointed to his current position by former GOP head Patricia Morgan two years ago, although the title was largely honorary: the Hispanic Republican Assembly has no members.

Quiroa was believed to be “one of a few” ethnic minorities to serve on the state party’s executive committee, according to state GOP spokeswoman Donna Perry. But she said that Quiroa wouldn’t be missed.

“Under this present leadership, he has been completely inactive –– hasn’t attended meetings, forums,” Perry said. “So to resign from something that you haven’t participated in, I don’t know how much weight that holds.”

Perry added that party leaders have hired a director of operations, Lammis Vargas, “recognizing her background and her involvement in those [Hispanic] communities.”

Carcieri signed an executive order last week that requires state agencies and vendors to verify the legal status of all employees and directs the state police and Department of Corrections to work with federal immigration authorities to help enforce immigration laws.

Quiroa, 36, of Newport, said he left the party yesterday specifically because of the governor’s move and the reaction from his supporters.

The governor’s office refused to comment yesterday.

“Everyone was cheering Governor Carcieri like we were getting rid of aliens from Mars who are infected with this weird disease,” Quiroa said. “So that lack of humanity is what really did it for me.”

He continued: “My children are American. They’re Hispanic American. I need to make sure as an American I do whatever I can to make sure that when I pass away this place is going to be better for them.”

Quiroa noted in a public statement that “the current actions of the RI GOP have set the party back 50 years in the eyes of minorities.”

He said he is now unaffiliated with either party.

speoples@projo.com