Thread: Obama aunt from Kenya living in U.S. illegally

Hey! It's on the CNN site now on the top part 'Latest News' section. Let me go check the ABC and MSNBC sites now. This is a start!


November 1, 2008
Obama's aunt may be illegal immigrant
Posted: 09:08 AM ET

(CNN) – A member of Barack Obama's Kenyan family living in the United States is facing a possible immigration issue: the Associated Press reports that an aunt he speaks about in his memoirs is living in the United States illegally.

The AP says she remain in government housing in Boston, even though an immigration judge denied her request for asylum four years ago.

Zeituni Onyango's refusal to leave the country would be an administrative violation, not a criminal matter.

CNN has not been able to independently verify her immigration status.

The Obama campaign has not yet responded to a CNN request for comment.

Obama called the woman "Aunt Zeituni" in his memoirs, where he described her as the first Kenyan relative he encountered on his visit to his father's home country.

Onyango has donated at least five times to Obama's campaign in July and September, listing her occupation as a "volunteer resident health advocate." Federal campaign finance records indicate several contributions in amounts of $5 and $25.

Filed under: Barack Obama

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

It's one of the headline stories on ABC's site as well!



AP: Obama Aunt From Kenya Living Illegally in US
AP: Obama's aunt from Kenya has lived illegally in US since 2004, denied asylum request
By EILEEN SULLIVAN
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON

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 (zay-TUHN on-YANG-oh), referred to as "Aunti Zeituni" in the Democratic presidential candidate'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.

Onyango, 56, is Obama's late father's half-sister, the Obama campaign has confirmed. She is not a relative whom Obama, 47, has discussed in campaign appearances and, unlike Obama's father and his maternal grandmother, is not someone who has been part of the public discussion about his personal life.

The Obama campaign declined to comment late Friday night.

Information about the deportation case was disclosed and confirmed by two separate sources, one a federal law enforcement 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, noncriminal violation of 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 U.S.

According to Federal Election Commission documents filed by the Obama campaign, Onyango has contributed $260 to Obama over a period of time. Under federal election law, only U.S. citizens or green-card holders are legally permitted to give money to campaigns. Onyango, who listed her employer as the Boston Housing Authority, gave in small increments to the Obama campaign. Her latest contribution was $5 on Sept. 19.

The AP could not immediately reach Onyango for comment. When a reporter went to her home Friday night, no one answered the door. A neighbor said she was often not home on the weekend. Onyango did not immediately return telephone and written messages left at her home. It was unclear why her request for asylum was rejected in 2004.

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 that any deportations before Tuesday's election be approved at least at the level of the agency's regional directors, the U.S. law enforcement official told the AP.

The unusual directive suggests that the administration is sensitive to the political implications of Onyango's case coming to light so close to the election.

The East African nation has been fractured in violence in recent years, including a period of two months of bloodshed after December 2007 that killed 1,500 people.

A spokesman for Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said Saturday that he had no idea how Onyango might have qualified for public housing with a standing deportation order. He said he's not involved in the operations of the agency, even though he appoints the head, because it runs mainly on federal and state dollars.

William McGonagle, deputy director of the Boston Housing Authority, said when contacted: "I know nothing about it and I've got no comment."

———

Spagat reported from New York. Associated Press writers Rodrique Ngowi and Jay Lindsay in Boston contributed to this report.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures


http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=6160299

MSNBC has the same AP story -but it's there.

Next, review the comments.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27481680/

Is this not a flag? Is it maybe true that Obama is not a citizen, and the lawyer in PA is correct? Why won't they allowed it to proven, or proven wrong? It's this cover up that is pissing me off the most.

I have been busy on some family matters the last few days. My dad, who lives in the Boston vicinity, just called me about this. This is huge, especially on the heals of Obamas recent comment. If you missed it, here is the comment I am referring to:

[quote]“John McCain and Sarah Palin they call this socialistic,â€

Originally Posted by MadInChicago

Is this not a flag? Is it maybe true that Obama is not a citizen, and the lawyer in PA is correct? Why won't they allowed it to proven, or proven wrong? It's this cover up that is pissing me off the most.

I am torn between what is pissing me off the most. The cover up does raise my blood pressure, but so does the courts stating that WE THE PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO QUESTION WHETHER SOMEONE IS QUALIFIED TO BE PRESIDENT.

Originally Posted by redwhiteandbluelatino

i knew you were all going to jump on this like a pig on mud!!

With lipstick.

What does this mean?

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.

They have to RE-approve deportation orders between now and the election???

Originally Posted by SeaTurtle

What does this mean?

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.

They have to RE-approve deportation orders between now and the election???

I think it means they anticipate "president Obama" will make auntie legal so she can sponge off of us the remainder of her life

This was just on CNN Whoohoo They are waiting on Obama's Answer[/code]