Obama aunt from Kenya living illegally in US

[graylocks]

Don't you find the timing of this just a teeny, weeny suspect. Officials in ICE apparently did.

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...


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.

Obama aunt from Kenya living illegally in US

[PeterB]

Yes, I saw that too... what they sort of bury in the information is that this is an aunt that he has had very little contact with in the last several years.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081101/ap_o...obama_aunt

... seems kind of far fetched to me to hold him responsible for this ... you can't really be that responsible for the behavior of all your relatives...

[graylocks]

PeterB wrote: ... seems kind of far fetched to me to hold him responsible for this ...

but PeterB, you are a reasonable person!

i can see this being played in whispers: see, he's not really one of us. he's sneaking his family in. they don't obey our laws. he'll let the others in, too...

[lafinfil]

PeterB wrote:
... you can't really be that responsible for the behavior of all your relatives...

This is my families mantra.

: - )

[OWC Jamie]

Some relatives have entertainment value.



All those darned Christan Kenyan terrorists are hiding everywhere.

[kap]

OMG, I have just started a heated political debate with a former relative (by marriage) about this.

[Black Landlord]

I don't think there's anything 'suspect' about the timing. The AP found a little skeleton and is all about patting itself on its back for it-- what we're seeing is akin to the overblown media coverage when something happens to someone within the media-- loss of perspective.
I think the biggest hit to Obama here is with those who believe he's omniscient, having to hear the painful words "I didn't know" come out of his mouth-- but it's not like those folks are going to switch sides because of this.

[AlphaDog]

If the people in charge of monitoring recipients of low income housing didn't know, my guess is that Obama didn't either. For real. Given his position as a U. S. Senator, he would have been in a position to intervene on her behalf, like thousands of other elected officials have done for various people and issues through the years. I haven't heard anything to indicate that he did, so I suspect she kept her status a well guarded secret. If living in this country meant a lot to me, I'd try to stay under the radar as long as possible, too. What I can't tell is whether she originally entered legally or not.

[JoeH]

I could have sworn I already read something about his aunt living near Boston months ago, but can't find it now. She could still be in the process of appealing the judge's turning down the asylum application, so even if there is a deportation order it would not usually be enforced during the appeal. Initial refuge status would give her provisional papers for living and working here.

[AlphaDog]

Here's the "I didn't know" article:

http://apnews.myway.com//article/2008110...7GCG0.html