During the last Republican debate Rudy Giuliani attacked Mitt Romney for continuing to employ a landscaping company known to employ illegal immigrant workers. The Boston Globe had found in February that while Romney was out preaching an end to illegal immigration there were undocumented workers tending to his home.

The Globe has followed up finding that despite the attacks illegals are still working on the former Massachusetts Governors home.

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.

Two of the workers confirmed in separate interviews with Globe reporters last week that they were in the country without documents. One said he had paid $7,000 to a smuggler to escort him across the desert into Arizona; the other said he had come to the country with a student visa that was now expired. Both were seen on the lawn by either Globe reporters or photographers over the last two months.

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.”

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.

In response tonight Romney has fired the landscapers.