Romeny fires company for illegal workers

BOSTON, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney fired a landscaping firm from his Boston home after allegations emerged it had employed illegal immigrants.

Romney terminated the services of the Community Lawn Service when a Boston Globe investigation uncovered "credible information" the company was employing illegal immigrants, CNN revealed Wednesday.

"I am disappointed that our relationship must end on this note," Romney wrote in a letter to the company. "But we simply cannot tolerate your inability to ensure that your employees are legally permitted to work in the United States."

Similar allegations surfaced last year, but the company assured Romney it followed the letter of the law.

The debate over immigration is a central topic in the race for the Republican nomination for president. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said at the latest Republican presidential debate that Romney lived in a "sanctuary mansion" that employed illegal immigrants.