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+--- Thread: Obama's aunt in US illegally - and in public housing (/showthread.php?tid=91)
Obama's aunt in US illegally - and in public housing - JazminH - 10-31-2008
AP: Obama aunt from Kenya living in US illegally
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By EILEEN SULLIVAN and ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press Writers Eileen Sullivan And Elliot Spagat, Associated Press Writers â 41 mins ago
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* John McCain
* Barack Obama
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WASHINGTON â Barack Obama's aunt, a Kenyan woman who has been quietly living in public housing in Boston, is in the United States illegally after an immigration judge rejected her request for asylum four years ago, The Associated Press has learned.
Zeituni Onyango, 56, referred to as "Aunti Zeituni" in Obama's memoir, was instructed to leave the United States by a U.S. immigration judge who denied her asylum request, a person familiar with the matter told the AP late Friday. This person spoke on condition of anonymity because no one was authorized to discuss Onyango's case.
Information about the deportation case was disclosed and confirmed by two separate sources, one of them a federal law enforcment official. The information they made available is known to officials in the federal government, but the AP could not establish whether anyone at a political level in the Bush administration or in the McCain campaign had been involved in its release.
Onyango's refusal to leave the country would represent an administrative, non-criminal violation of U.S. immigration law, meaning such cases are handled outside the criminal court system. Estimates vary, but many experts believe there are more than 10 million such immigrants in the United States.
The AP could not reach Onyango immediately for comment. No one answered the telephone number listed in her name late Friday. It was unclear why her request for asylum was rejected in 2004.
Onyango is not a relative whom Obama has discussed in campaign appearances and, unlike Obama's father and grandmother, is not someone who has been part of the public discussion about his personal life.
A spokeswoman for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Kelly Nantel, said the government does not comment on an individual's citizenship status or immigration case.
Onyango's case â coming to light just days before the presidential election â led to an unusual nationwide directive within Immigrations and Customs Enforcement requiring any deportations prior to Tuesday's election to be approved at least at the level of ICE regional directors, the U.S. law enforcement official told the AP.
The unusual directive suggests that the Bush administration is sensitive to the political implications of Onyango's case coming to light so close to the election.
Kenya is in eastern Africa between Somalia and Tanzania. The country has been fractured in violence in recent years, including a period of two months of bloodshed after December 2007 that killed 1,500 people.
The disclosure about Onyango came just one day after Obama's presidential campaign confirmed to the Times of London that Onyango, who has lived quietly in public housing in South Boston for five years, was Obama's half aunt on his father's side.
It was not immediately clear how Onyango might have qualified for public housing with a standing deportation order.
Re: Obama's aunt in US illegally - and in public housing - Blackdiamond - 11-01-2008
That's not bad--only ONE from her Country and tons of others from other Countries.
Re: Obama's aunt in US illegally - and in public housing - guest300 - 11-01-2008
Well, I guess it's a good thing Obama's Aunt is not running for President! The GOP is getting desperate, aren't they?
Re: Obama's aunt in US illegally - and in public housing - fedupinwaukegan - 11-02-2008
This story is still breathing. Yesterday it was discovered that the aunt made a contribution to his campaign. Here is a follow up article.
Obama returns aunt's donation after illegal immigrant report
HENDERSON, Nevada (AFP) â Barack Obama's White House campaign said Saturday it was returning a small donation from his Boston-based Kenyan aunt after questions were raised over her US immigration status.
Aides said Obama had not been in touch with his late father's sister, Zeituni Onyango, 56, for at least four years, and questioned reporting about her residency status so close to Tuesday's election against Republican John McCain.
Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt said the campaign was returning 265 dollars donated by the aunt to her nephew's White House bid.
Foreigners cannot donate money to US presidential candidates. But aides refused to say whether returning the money was an acknowledgement that the aunt was an illegal alien.
"Given the information that has been brought to our attention, the contributions are being refunded," LaBolt said in a statement, without elaborating.
Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod would not comment on the aunt's immigration status but said Obama last met her for sure at his Senate inauguration ceremony in 2004.
"It's not a real close relationship. They have not been in close touch," he told reporters after Obama addressed 15,000 supporters in Henderson, Nevada.
Axelrod ascribed ulterior motives to the revelations after The Associated Press reported that Onyango had remained living in Boston despite having her request for asylum rejected by an immigration judge four years ago.
"The American people are pretty suspicious of things that are dumped in the marketplace 72 hours out from election day," the top aide said.
In a separate statement, Obama spokesman Bill Burton said: "Senator Obama has no knowledge of her status but obviously believes that any and all appropriate laws be followed."
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement refused to confirm or deny the report about Onyango, who is part of a large extended family on Obama's father's side spread across Kenya, the United States and Europe.
"We do not discuss the details of any individual's status or their case," ICE spokeswoman Kelly Nantel in Washington told AFP.
Mark Salter, a senior advisor to Obama's White House rival John McCain said the Republican would not comment on the story. "It's a family matter," he said
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Re: Obama's aunt in US illegally - and in public housing - Blackdiamond - 11-02-2008
This is a nice break for the Illegals IN WAUKEGAN.
Re: Obama's aunt in US illegally - and in public housing - NorthsideKaren - 11-02-2008
Obama will be a very nice break for the illegals. He is an open-border advocate. :cry:
Re: Obama's aunt in US illegally - and in public housing - Blackdiamond - 11-03-2008
They're here already. :roll:
Re: Obama's aunt in US illegally - and in public housing - Blackdiamond - 11-05-2008
I meant it was a break to the Illegals here not to have attention on them. (Remember when we had tons of discussions about the Illegals)? I know Mr. Obama's GrandMother would have been proud.