Romney caught using illegal immigrants - again

December 5, 2007

Mitt Romney is under fire for being caught a second time using a landscaping company that employs illegal immigrants.

The Republican presidential candidate on Tuesday fired a landscaping company that worked at his home in Boston after he said he learned it employs illegal immigrants.

With Romney locked in a tight race for the top spot in the GOP's upcoming Iowa caucuses, the company -- which he said he gave a "second chance" after similar information arose last year -- had become an easy target for Romney's political opponents.

In the statement, Romney said he met with the owner of the company, Community Lawn Service, last year and agreed to keep using it after the owner guaranteed him he would only employ legal workers.

Tuesday's announcement came after the Boston Globe approached the campaign with what a campaign official called "credible information" that the company continued to employ illegal workers -- including some at the Romney home.

According to the Globe, several workers who told reporters they were not in the country legally were "in plain view" on Mitt Romney's property the morning after that debate, and virtually weekly over the past two months. They also observed the same crew working at the home of Romney's son Tagg.

During a CNN/YouTube debate last week, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani attacked Romney for living in a "sanctuary mansion" where illegal immigrants were allowed to work.

Romney explained his strong opposition to a proposed comprehensive immigration reform bill in May and said "it gives people who are here illegally a very substantial advantage over those who've been standing in line in their home country, it's really unfair to those that play by the rules."

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