Sanctuary Mansion: Breaking Up is Hard to Do

We knew Mitt Romney would have a complicated week when he announced he would give a speech on his religious beliefs on Thursday, but we thought the chatter about Mitt’s “sanctuary mansion” was over until he and Rudy Giuliani got in the same room again. Just as the furor was dying down, the Globe brings it back to life with the news that the grounds of Romney’s estate have continued to be tended by illegal immigrants.

It seems instead of firing the company that first brought the illegals to Mitt’s doorstep, the Romney family gave it a second try. Apparently, Tagg Romney was the one to lay down the immigration law with Community Lawn Service With a Heart owner Ricardo Saenz.

. . .Tagg Romney confirmed that he met with Saenz on a warm March day on his front yard, with his brother, Craig, a fluent Spanish speaker, translating over a cellphone. The Romney brothers said they told Saenz they would no longer use his service because of the prior Globe story, but Saenz urged them to reconsider. He vowed there would be no undocumented workers on the property.

“He came over and he was very apologetic for what had happened and asked if he could continue with us,” he said. “He asked for a second chance.”. . .

“He was so adamant because he would personally make sure that he would only have documented workers working with him,” he said. “We trusted him. I don’t know what more we can do.”

Um, maybe ask to see their papers? Which brings us to…

In an interview in the doorway of his Chelsea two-family house yesterday afternoon, Saenz, 54, said the workers he hired were here legally. “They have papers,” he said. “I copied them.”

Asked to show the papers to reporters to prove the workers are here legally, Saenz declined, adding that he was not obligated to verify the employees’ documents with the government. “It’s not my responsibility. . . I ask them to show me papers. And if they show me papers, what can I do? I’m not an investigator who can tell if they’re good or bad.”

Actually, Saenz is required by law to check the papers and make sure they’re not forgeries. Which they probably were, since one of the illegal immigrants he employed alleges Saenz told him to obtain some papers.

Speaking in Spanish, the worker identified himself as Justo Sanan, a 35-year-old father of three from Guatemala, and said he told Saenz as early as March that he did not have legal papers. Saenz then told him to “go get something,” Sanan said.

Dios Mio, Mitt.