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New York Times Blasted Over Framing Identity Stealing Illegal Alien as a Victim [WATCH]

Posted By LifeZette Staff On In News | No Comments

A New York Times report examining the identity theft committed by a Guatemalan national living in the United States unlawfully drew immediate criticism this week after federal officials and public figures pushed back on the newspaper’s framing of the case.

The article compared [1] the experiences of Romeo Perez-Bravo, an illegal alien who used stolen identification records to obtain work in the Midwest, and Dan Kluver, the U.S. citizen whose Social Security information was taken.

According to the Times, Kluver was left with thousands of dollars in tax debts because Perez-Bravo had been working under his information.

The report described identity theft as an “unfortunate feature” of the current employment system and characterized the use of fraudulent or stolen Social Security numbers as a “survival tactic” for illegal immigrants seeking jobs.

The Times cited government estimates that as many as one million undocumented workers are using fraudulent or stolen numbers to pass background checks.

According to the report, such numbers are often acquired through data breaches, sold online for about $150, or distributed in border towns by human smugglers.

The publication noted that many of the stolen identities belong to U.S. citizen children, deceased individuals, or Puerto Ricans whose Social Security information circulates widely on the mainland.

The article sparked strong reactions online, including from the Department of Homeland Security, which publicly addressed the criminal history of Perez-Bravo.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded to the coverage and identified the individual involved.

“The violent criminal illegal alien who stole Daniel Kulver’s identity is Guatemalan National Romeo Perez Bravo,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin outlined a series of criminal convictions on Perez-Bravo’s record, including offenses for terroristic threats, assault, and four convictions for driving under the influence.

“He reentered the U.S. a third time after being removed, which is a felony,” she added. McLaughlin also emphasized the consequences of identity theft, saying, “Behind every stolen Social Security number is a real American: mothers, fathers, students, and workers facing devastating financial, personal and legal fallout.”

The Times reported that Perez-Bravo had also been involved in a traffic accident that resulted in the death of a 68-year-old grandfather.

Public figures from across the political landscape responded strongly to the article.

Political consultant Steve Cortes wrote that “An illegal alien was using the stolen identity of an American citizen — and the disgusting New York Times writes this story … as if they are BOTH victims.”

Ohio State Rep. Josh Williams echoed similar concerns. “This is just a completely infuriating story,” Williams said.

“When you see Democrats fight back against mass deportations to the extent they have, think about men like Daniel Kluver, who have had their shot at the American Dream turned upside down because of the left’s desire to protect illegals over Americans.”

Other critiques focused on the paper’s framing of Perez-Bravo’s actions.

“One selfish man destroyed another man’s life, killed a grandpa, and sent a young girl to the hospital. It’s incredible to see how hard you strain to varnish over this ugly story,” one response said.

The Project for Immigration Reform also issued a statement reacting to the article.

“The worst part of this article is how the @nytimes tries to paint a sympathetic story about the illegal alien. He was involved in a fatal crash and handed over the identity of the American whose name he’d stolen. The actual victim of the ID theft ended up getting sued for it,” the organization wrote.