BOSTON -- Republican Mitt Romney, who has made the fight against illegal immigration a major platform in his campaign for the presidency, found himself Tuesday admitting that illegal immigrants had been hired for a second time to do lawn work on his Belmont, Mass., home.

An investigation by the Boston Globe found that two workers admitted that they were in the country without proper documentation. One worker told the newspaper that he had paid $7,000 to a smuggler to bring him into the country. The second said he had entered the country on a student visa which had expired.

In December 2006, the Globe first reported on Romney’s use of illegal immigrants to work on his lawn. At the time, Romney said the responsibility lay with the landscaping company he had hired, but continued to use the same company.

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."

After being asked about the continued use of illegal immigrants by reporters covering his campaign in New Hampshire, Romney first declined comment and later fired the company.

"After this same issue arose last year, I gave the company a second chance. The company's failure to comply with the law is disappointing and inexcusable, and I believe it is important I take this action," Romney said.

During a debate last week in St. Petersburg, Fla., Romney chastised rival Rudy Giuliani for continuing sanctuary status for New York while he served as the city's mayor. That prompted Giuliani to accuse Romney of owning a "sanctuary mansion", referring to the Globe's report last year.

Katie Levinson, speaking for Giuliani's campaign, said of the recurrence: "I think it speaks for itself."