As the debate over immigration continues the New York Times tried to put a sympathetic light on an illegal alien who committed identity theft and instead radicalized many on the right.

The article contrasts the lives of Romeo Perez-Bravo from Guatemala and Dan Kluver the man whose identification records were stolen to secure employment for Perez-Bravo in the Midwest.

Kluver was forced to pay thousands of dollars to resolve the tax debts that had been racked up by Perez-Bravo under his credentials.

The Times portrays the identity theft as an unfortunate feature of the employment system and frames it as a survival tactic of illegal immigrants.

His case was one version of a problem that’s been spreading across the country for years. The government estimates that as many as one million undocumented workers are using fraudulent or stolen Social Security numbers — a survival tactic used to pass background checks and get jobs. The numbers are skimmed from data breaches, sold in black markets online for as little as $150, or handed out in border towns by human smugglers. Many numbers connect back to US citizen children, dead people, or Puerto Ricans whose numbers circulate easily across the mainland.

The article was immediately assailed by many online and the Department of Homeland Security responded by setting the record straight about the extent of the criminal convictions against Perez-Bravo.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin exposed the full criminal history the Times downplayed.

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

She added that he had a rap sheet including convictions for terroristic threats and assault and four convictions for driving under the influence.

“He reentered the U.S. a third time after being removed, which is a felony. Behind every stolen Social Security number is a real American: mothers, fathers, students, and workers facing devastating financial, personal and legal fallout.”

He was also involved in a traffic accident that resulted in the death of a 68-year-old grandfather according to the Times.

Political consultant Steve Cortes blasted the paper’s framing of the story.

“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 Representative Josh Williams responded with frustration.

“This is just a completely infuriating story. 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.”

Another response highlighted the human cost of the crimes.

“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.”

The Project for Immigration Reform account pointed out the worst part of the coverage.

“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 Times article represents a perfect example of how mainstream media frames immigration stories to generate sympathy for illegal aliens rather than their American victims. By calling identity theft a survival tactic the paper essentially excuses criminal behavior.

Dan Kluver spent years dealing with the consequences of having his identity stolen. He faced tax debts he didn’t owe and legal problems he didn’t create. Meanwhile the Times wants readers to feel sorry for the man who caused all that damage.

The revelation that Perez-Bravo had four DUI convictions and was involved in a fatal accident that killed a 68-year-old grandfather makes the sympathetic framing even more outrageous. This was not some innocent person trying to feed his family. This was a violent criminal with a lengthy record who should never have been in the country.

The fact that he reentered the United States a third time after being removed twice shows how broken the immigration system has been. Previous administrations failed to secure the border and failed to keep deported criminals from returning.

The government estimate that one million illegal aliens are using stolen or fraudulent Social Security numbers should alarm every American. Each of those numbers belongs to a real person who may face financial and legal problems because of the theft.

The online backlash against the Times shows that Americans are tired of media outlets portraying criminals as victims while ignoring the actual victims of their crimes. People like Dan Kluver deserve sympathy and justice. People like Romeo Perez-Bravo deserve deportation and prosecution.