ROSWELL, Ga. (AP) — Like all illegal immigrants, Lorenzo Jimenez knew the knock on the door from immigration agents could come at any time.
Still, he had enough faith in the American dream to buy a house in this Atlanta suburb, even though signing the papers meant raising the risk: He put his 2-year-old, American-born daughter’s name and Social Security number on the title.
And it worked, for a while. Jimenez and his family lived happily enough for several years alongside “regular” citizens.
Nicole Griffin’s mom lived a few doors away, and when Griffin visited, she said, her kids played with the Jimenez children. When Jimenez put his four-bedroom, two-bathroom home up for sale last spring, wanting more space, Griffin was immediately interested.
A contract was negotiated but when the sale appeared to go sour, Griffin raised a new issue: that she was a citizen and Jimenez wasn’t. She told local media, immigration officials, his boss and others that he was here illegally. She even put signs in the yard of the house exposing his residency status.
As a result, agents came knocking last month, and now Jimenez is fighting to keep from being deported. He also lost his job.
“I’m very sad and very worried,” said Jimenez, 32. “I can’t sleep because I’m thinking about my family. What’s going to happen? I don’t know.”
Griffin insists her intent was to buy the house, nothing else. The 28-year-old single mother of two maintains she was wronged first, so she acted to protect her interests. She has no regrets.
“At the end, do I feel bad the family got in trouble? No, not at all,” she said.http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hhxQuqrKu8F-iedSf3U03RB4tcrQD94G5J7O1
No Tag
Actually, in this case, I do feel bad. He’s here illegally but pays federal income tax.
“he could get a better interest rate using his daughter’s information on the closing documents than he could using the federal tax identification number he uses to pay income tax here.”
If there was a case for amnesty, there it is.
While i feel bad, he was ratted out by the buyer and was caught. If deported then he’s deported. I do mean ratted out by the buyer.
Jimenez’s lawyer, Erik Meder, told her that offer was never firm and insisted she pay rent or vacate the house.
“Locked in a letter war with Meder, Griffin escalated her actions. She contacted the FBI, the Roswell Police Department, local media, the state attorney general’s office and the governor’s office, among others. She asked her congressman, U.S. Rep. Tom Price, for help, saying she felt Jimenez and Meder had deceived her. Price’s office, in turn, contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Brendan Buck, a Price spokesman.”
She;s probably hoping that he’ll get deported, the house goes up on an auction block and she’ll be able to get cheaper.
I hope she doesn’t get the house.
She went to her Congressman. Who goes to their Congressman over a dispute over paying rent while living in a house that is still in escrow?
It’s a load of crap. She knew what the end result would be and planned it out that way.
I cannot feel pity for Jimenez, He new the consequences for his actions and decided to put his family through it. I hold very little regard for someone that makes his children live as fugitives.
A lot of people does that legal or illegal if its there kids and if they are legal residents or citizens,but its very risky.
Well at least he was only screwing up his daughters credit and not some innocent citizens! What bank gives a mortgage on a 2 year old’s credit?
Dude: Amnesty!
1) The guy came here illegally
2) He stayed here illegally
3) He used forgery to get a job
4) He stole someones SSN
5) He forged papers to purchase a house
6) He committed any number of other crimes
What does he have to do NOT to get amnesty from you? Murder your family? Get serious! He deserves prison then deportation!