Obama's Aunt, Zeituni Onyango, Must Be Deported, Says Anti-Illegal-Immigration Group; Aunt has April Court Hearing

By Ray Stern in News

Tom Pilston/The Times

Obama's "Auntie Zeituni"

An anti-illegal-immigration political group is calling on Barack Obama today to deport his aunt, Zeituni Onyango, who apparently remains an illegal immigrant fugitive from justice in Cleveland.

Americans for Legal Immigration posted its "public demand" on its Web site, basically telling Obama he's a hypocrite if he won't have his aunt arrested and removed to her native Kenya:

"Actions speak louder than words, Mr. President," said William Gheen. "If you do not execute the deportation order for your aunt, then your lip service about the Rule of Law is no CHANGE from George Bush."

The 56-year-old Onyanga was found living in an impoverished Boston neighborhood by the news media in October. Then, on the first of November, an Associated Press story appeared that detailed how Onyango -- now in Cleveland -- had actually been an illegal immigrant living under a deportation order for four years.

Last week, it was revealed that the Homeland Security Department under Bush had issued an order days before Obama's election that required high-level approval for fugitive immigrant arrests -- apparently to head off the inevitable media blitz that would occur if Onyango was taken into custody at the wrong time.

Onyango's story is another fascinating story of a decrepit immigration system, but ALIPAC's logic has a major flaw:

The above AP article mentions that Onyango's deportation order was stayed in December, and she now has an April court hearing.

How's that for Rule of Law? Obama has no reason to screw over his aunt by somehow having her deported before the hearing, even if he had that power.

We called Onyango's Cleveland lawyer, Margaret Wong, to find out how Obama's aunt managed to get her deportation stayed, but Wong wouldn't take our call. Instead, we were referred to a guy named Mike Rogers, "Margaret Wong's spokesman on that issue." But Rogers never called back, either.

Then we phoned ALIPAC (not to be confused with ALIPAC) at its home base in North Carolina to find out if the author of the "demand" knew about Onyango's court date.

"She's already had her day in court," the gentleman we reached snarls, pointing out she's lived in the country illegally for five years. (We couldn't get his name -- he was too busy lambasting us for various Feathered Bastard columns, some of which they post on their site).

But, as mentioned, ALIPAC is wrong -- Onyango's day in court still awaits her.

The ALIPAC article is based on a false premise.

Original here