Man who posed as illegal immigrant released (AP c/o Houston Chronicle)

Man who posed as illegal immigrant released March 11, 2008, 4:12AM

SAN ANTONIO — A man who says he posed as an illegal immigrant for years to dodge criminal charges was back at home with his family in Central Texas.
Saul Espinoza, 36, was detained for nearly two months in San Antonio before being released Monday night. He was allowed to join his family in Boerne pending a final decision in his case.
"I can't believe it," he said. "I'm going to go to church, stay out of trouble, get a job and rebuild my life."
Immigration officials still haven't recognized him as a U.S. citizen.
"Due to his extensive deceptive history, ICE is carefully reviewing his latest claim of U.S. citizenship," said Nina Pruneda, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman.
Espinoza said he duped authorities for years and avoided criminal charges by telling officials he was Joel Garza, an illegal immigrant from Mexico.
But Espinoza's attorney said the father of five was actually born in Brownsville and has the school records, baptismal certificate, and U.S. birth certificate to prove it.
Espinoza has been arrested several times for theft and drug charges. On several occasions, he gave authorities an alias and told them he was a Mexican national. After being deported or voluntarily returning south of the border, he simply headed north and claimed U.S. citizenship.
ICE tried to deport him to Mexico after his latest legal trouble before officials decided to take another look at Espinoza's case.