Obama aunt from Kenya living in U.S. illegally

Obama aunt from Kenya living in U.S. illegally

WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 — coming to light just days before the presidential election — 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 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.
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It was not immediately clear how Onyango might have qualified for public housing with a standing deportation order.

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Yeah I wonder how illegal aliens are getting this assistance meant for CITIZENS?

Here is the November SURPRISE !!!

Now isn't that interesting????? 8O

This should make the last few days of the election much more interesting.

I wonder how many more illegal alien relatives Obama has living off of the taxpayers.

She has telephone service in her name too.

I can't believe she got public assistance.

Obama's "Aunti Zeituni" is an illegal alien.

These overstays are the worst in my opinion. DEPORT HER.

Dixie

What happened to his "I AM my brother's keeper"? Guess that doesn't apply to Aunts.

NO WAY he didn't know she was here illegally AND that she was getting "assistance" she wasn't entitled to. Just one more person he wants us to share OUR wealth with... cause he and his lovely wife can't be bothered!

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It was not immediately clear how Onyango might have qualified for public housing with a standing deportation order.

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But don't we always hear about how illlegals NEVER, EVER, EVER receive taxpayer funded public benefits? How they only contribute greatly to the economy and benefit society and are never a burden to it. And gee what a shock, Oscuma demands so many of us should pay more taxes to give a hand up to those in need, but he himself has never lifted a finger to help them when it comes to his own money, even those in his own family.

I guess spreading the wealth only counts when Govt. is in charge and using other people's money, not when it comes to helping your own family members. But I'm sure the lame stream media will dig deep into this story and present all the facts in a straightforward and unbiased manner. Yeah right.

Wow. The plot thickens. Obama with all his money won't give any to his aunt because he wants us to take care of her.

His aunt is in the country illegally and getting public assistance. The nice Massachusetts liberal Democrats will go after American citizens for taxes (if late with 250% interest and penalties) to pay for her then they will throw her some scraps and keep the rest for themselves.

Perhaps this aunt is behind his inspiration to give every illegal invader in this country citizenship! How many more relatives does he have living illegally in this country? How many more skeletons does this guy have in his closet?

I find it ironic that Obama and his wife are millionaires, yet they seem to not be able to help several family members who apparently have not been as fortunate as he and his wife have been. I guess he feels as if it's the tax payers responsibility to help his family, while he and his wife continue to write books.

Is this part of the "change" we can look forward to if this guy becomes POTUS?