Say Anything Blog

Lawn work at Romney’s home still done by illegal immigrants according to the Boston Globe!

Standing on stage at a Republican debate on the Gulf Coast of Florida last week, Mitt Romney repeatedly lashed out at rival Rudy Giuliani for providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants in New York City.

Yet, the very next morning, on Thursday, at least two illegal immigrants...proceeded to spend several hours raking leaves, clearing debris from Romney’s tennis court, and loading the refuse back on to the truck.

In fact, their work was part of a regular pattern. Despite a Globe story in Dec. 2006 that highlighted Romney’s use of illegal immigrants to tend to his lawn, Romney continued to employ the same landscaping company – until today. The landscaping company, in turn, continued to employ illegal immigrants.

Byron York adds:

Their boss, Ricardo Saenz of Chelsea, was the same man who for a decade brought illegal immigrants and others to work for Romney, whom he had met through their shared Mormon faith

So Romney has his yard work done by illegal immigrants for TEN YEARS! Illegals employed by a fellow Mormon whom Romney asks (sorry...allegedly asks) to stop using illegals. Saenz opts for the cash, Romney can’t tell the difference (or looks the other way) and the rest is history!

The Globe continues:

Questioned this afternoon during two campaign stops in New Hampshire about the use of illegal immigrants on his property, Romney declined to answer. An aide said he would issue a statement, and Romney, emerging from a Concord restaurant, said, “Did you hear him? We’ll give you a statement.” (My, how testy! I guess it’s easier to give a straight answer when you tell the truth and don’t have to think up a way to spin it!)

Later, the campaign issued a statement saying Romney had just learned – apparently from Globe reporters – of the company’s continued practice of employing illegal immigrants, and immediately fired it.

I was shocked, shocked to find out! No, wait! That was Claude Rains! Mitt Romney is the guy who wants to run our whole country! (Presumably better than he runs his own household!)

Maybe before he made illegal immigration the cornerstone of his campaign, he should have considered his own ten year contribution to the problem!


(Hat tip Byron York!)
UPDATED:

Update:

"Today, I fired a landscaping company that I learned was employing people who are not permitted to work here in the United States. After this same issue arose last year, I gave the company a second chance with very specific conditions. They were instructed to make sure people working for the company were of legal status. We personally met with the company in order to inform them about the importance of this matter. The owner of the company guaranteed us, in very certain terms, that the company would be in total compliance with the law going forward.

via NRO Corner

Translation: I got caught.

UPDATE II: Ricardo Saenz, of Community Lawn Service, told NewsCenter 5's Jorge Quiroga Tuesday, "I'm not the INS (Immigration & Naturalization Service). It's not my job to keep track of all that."