Barack Obama's Aunt an Illegal Alien

Zeituni Onyango, Barack Obama's Kenyan aunt whose existence in a South Boston slum recently came to light, is also living in the United States illegally. The development highlights the issue of illegal immigration in the 2008 election.

According to an AP story, an immigration judge denied Barack Obama's aunt Zeituni Onyango's request for asylum four years ago. Therefore, the continued existence of Barack Obama's aunt Zeituni Onyango in the United States is considered an "administrative, non-criminal violation of U.S. immigration law, meaning such cases are handled outside the criminal court system." Zeituni Onyango is part of a population estimated to be more than ten million people living in the United States illegally.

The new situation raises a number of questions.

How was it that Zeituni Onyango was able to avoid deportation for four years?

How did Zeituni Onyango manage to contribute money to the Barack Obama campaign, since she is still a foreign national and thus it is illegal for her to do so?

How did Zeituni Onyango qualify for the public housing she now lives in if she is an illegal alien with a deportation order?

A nationwide directive has been issued within Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that requires any deportations prior to Tuesday's election to be approved at least at the level of ICE regional directors. This is the result of the original revelation of Barack Obama's Aunt Zeituni Onyango. The order represents a political decision considering the implications of deporting a Barack Obama relative so close to the Presidential election.

The sudden twist of Barack Obama's Aunt Zeituni Onyango being an illegal alien may have some implications for the Presidential election anyway. The issue of illegal immigration in the United States is a contentious one. Attempts to reform immigration laws and to deal with the more than ten million illegal aliens living in the United States have been complicated by public anger about current immigration laws not being enforced and a border that seems porous to people seeking to enter the United States illegally.

On the other hand the idea of Barack Obama's Aunt Zeituni Onyango, a disabled woman in her fifties, being forced to return to Kenya, a country noted for political instability and violence, is also an emotional one. No one with an ounce of compassion would approach such a prospect with anything but unease.

The case represents a huge quandary for Barack Obama. Barack Obama has already been criticized for his neglect of his relatives, including his Aunt Zeituni Onyango. If he supports deporting her, then he seems even more of a heel. If he opposes it, he seems to support law breaking on the part of a relative.

What is a potential President of the United States to do?

Sources: Obama aunt from Kenya living in US illegally, Eilleen Sullivan and Elliot Spagat, AP, October 31st, 2008

Barack Obama's Aunt and Uncle Found Living in Poverty, Mark R. Whittington, Associated Content, October 30th, 2008