Zeituni Onyango, Obama's Aunt, Back In Boston For Deportation Hearing

Boston Globe:

President Obama's aunt, a Kenyan immigrant who ignited controversy last year for living in the United States illegally, has returned to her quiet apartment in a Boston public housing complex to prepare for an April 1 deportation hearing.

When her case emerged in the waning days of the presidential race last year, Zeituni Onyango, a tall, frail-looking woman in her late 50s who walks with a cane, fled the media attention to stay with relatives in Cleveland.

Read the whole story: Boston Globe

Comments

[HerbTee]

04:21 PM on 03/27/2009

To gino618:
*************************

What's so hard to understand that we have a democratic and legal process in this country and every immigrant, whether here on legal or illegal status, deserves their day in court. The immigration systems is set up that way. Obama's aunt is now going through that legal process. But some people say, the heck with our legal due processes, let's just throw them out anyway!

If that's how you truly feel, then I hope you're never charged with a crime or sued in civil court. If immigrants already in the legal system like Obama's aunt are not allowed to go through their legal motions, then why should any of us be allowed to? Why not just convict without any legal due process only because others say so?

[wadenelson1]

07:46 PM on 03/24/2009

Obama should DISTRACT the Republians by giving her a green card.

I'm sorry, but IMHO being President gets you a few perqs, like being able to help a relative.

It would give Rush and the idiots something to whine about for weeks. Which is good.

[v eyepete]

06:43 PM on 03/24/2009

You know when you read these comments, it is clear why our USA is having so many problems. Everyone has just turned very mean spirited. It goes right up and down the line from the very rich bankers to the poor on the street. There are people living illegally in every country on the globe. There are Americans living illegally in Mexico and in countries all over the world. Is that so hard to understand? Why do people choose to live this way? Because where they came from is less tolerable than where they are. Think about it? Would you want to go live in Kenya after living in the USA? Lots of people, those from Europe as well came here illegally and made a contribution, as well as the children they produced here. Immigration made this country great, everyone here except for the native American is the result of immigration. Some people should cultivate some compassion. This is our country, not your country. Have a heart and stop being do damn nasty. You're lucky you still have a country the way things are going!

[wadenelson1]

07:47 PM on 03/24/2009

you really hit the nail on the head.

put someone in a glass and metal box, with four tires on it, and they become AMAZINGLY selfish and mean spirited.

[SusanStoHelit]

05:49 PM on 03/24/2009

The courts should rule whatever they'd rule on anyone else. I don't support illegal immigration, seems to me like she might have a case - or she might not. But I think we've got pretty lenient and broad rules, so if the court doesn't find she fits into them - she should go. And if she wasn't qualified for that housing, she should be out - but then we should be monitoring that more for ALL our housing, so that citizens get first shot at our services, before immigrants and illegal immigrants.

[howcome]

05:03 PM on 03/24/2009

Barack has this big EMPTY house in Hyde Park he could let his Illegal aunt live in instead of at taxpayers expense in public housing.

[Bitsko]

05:39 PM on 03/24/2009

Wouldn't life be so much simper and easier if we all just listened to your uneducated opinions?

[Chris]

04:52 PM on 03/24/2009

I thoguth the US had laws that prevented people from profiting from an illegal act?
Subsidize housing seems like a pretty big profit for illegal entry.

[Chris]

04:51 PM on 03/24/2009

IF deported cna the State of MA recoup the funds for her housing?

[MagisterLudi]

12:54 PM on 03/24/2009

An illegal immigrant who lives in tax-funded public projects.... and no one is outraged.

[fcsakes]

01:32 PM on 03/24/2009

I am far more "outraged" by the ignorance of your statement than a thousand, or a million "illegal" immigrants living in tax-funded public projects.

What that costs is not even a molecule in a drop of water in the bucket of tax revenue dollars we thrust into the hands of the wealthy.

My tax dollars are welcome to go to every immigrant, illegal or not, every homeless person, every sick, sad, or lonely person, every neglected elderly person, but instead, too much of it goes to WAR, tax writeoffs for the wealthy, corporate subsidies, and payoffs to politicians.

[Ihatecats]

01:49 PM on 03/24/2009

Oh good. Can she stay at your house then?

You take care of her. I don't want to.

[steamboat]

03:56 PM on 03/24/2009

Put your money where your mouth is. Take her in then.................................So we taxpayers don't have to pay.

[lowgear]

01:58 PM on 03/24/2009

we now live in a post-racial world.

we now live in a post-reasoning world.

we will be living in a post-monetary world.

we will be living in a post-American world.

[PDXTransplant]

12:33 PM on 03/24/2009

Did they hunt down Bu sh's Naz| relatives when he was in office? Just checking.

[takeyourballandgohome]

10:55 AM on 03/24/2009

So ridiculous, let the woman stay....why who cares if she even lives in the apartment on the third floor of the White House for heavens sake. She/this is not a big immigration problem....it's called a 'scapegoat'....her rels are contributing more than all those critics'.

[Hannah King]

12:38 PM on 03/24/2009

I agree. The close relatives of a President should be allowed legal residence. We have never been so fortunate as to have someone like President Obama who has family in Kenya and has lived all over the world. There should be new legislation to allow close relatives of this President and all future presidents to obtain legal status as long as they meet all other requirements: clean background check here and abroad, have someone who will support them if they cannot support themselves on their own, and live a morally and ethically upright life. Immigration laws need to be reformed to allow US citizens to petition for any close relative not just parents and children. Right now, US citizens cannot petition for their elderly grandparents or nieces/nephews who cannot be cared for properly in countries like Darfur, Liberia, Sudan, Congo, and refugee camps all over the world.

[IAM4CLINTON]

01:22 PM on 03/24/2009

With all due respect I completely dis-agree with the ridicullous notion that relatives of the President should be allowed to stay in the U.S The POTUS is NOT a king or an emperor. When there are millions of U.S citizens and legal permanent residents enduring years of seperation from immediate family,before they are llowed to enter the U.S I am appalled that one would even recommend that the President's relatives be treated any differently.

[DerekRC]

05:28 PM on 03/24/2009

Are you stupid?

[InfosolutionWiz]

10:13 AM on 03/24/2009

I am a Naturalized Us Citizen. However, judging from 99.9% of the comments on this issue, it is crystal clear that the vast majority of folks posting comments does NOT have a clue or understand immigration laws and how things work. Once an individual have documentation showing LEGAL entry into the United States up on or close to the Expiration of their visa or time granted to stay in the us, that individual can file for an extension or adjustment of status; Not because they want to, but because current immigration laws allow it. When a Cuban fled Cuba ILLEGAL as hell with NO Papers, under the DRY FOOT WET FOOT Policy, the moment this ILLEGAL Cuban foot touches any DRY US land, that Illegal Cuban is instantly process and given a Permanent Resident (GREEN) Card to reside PERMANENTLY In The United States. On the other hand, when a Haitian flee Haiti under Tougher inhumane conditions, they are immediately send back NO Questions Asked. Why The Double Standard??

[HerbTee]

02:57 PM on 03/24/2009

Thank you, thank you for explaining this to the minions and wingnuts here. This coming from a man married to a foreign national who is now a naturalized US citizen and who better understands our immigration laws than some of the fools on this board.

[gino618]

04:40 PM on 03/24/2009

What's so hard about understanding 'Legal' and 'Illegal'? Either you're here through following the proper channels - or you're not. If you're not, you do not belong here and should be deported. Period.

[Austrian School]

02:58 PM on 03/24/2009

Because Cuba is a Communist and Totalitarian State. Or, have you not heard of Fidel Castro?

If Standard of Living was the barometer on who could enter the US, the entire world would be packed on our little continent.

[GovtCheese]

07:27 PM on 03/24/2009

And China is a shining example of democracy, whoops China is a Communist and Totalitartian State, but that's ok, it's where most manufacuting jobs have gone, BTW Dog Food, Toys, Baby formula anyone?

[Tugar]

08:12 AM on 03/24/2009

YOU KNOW, SOMEONE IS ALWAYS TRYING ASSOCIATE US WITH RELATIVES THAT OFTENTIMES, WE DON’T EVEN KNOW…

We don’t know if Pres. Obama has close ties with his aunt from Kenya. After all he was raised by his mother and her parents, mainly in Hawaii. But I am sure he would not involve himself or his office concerning her rights to stay or not stay in the US. So, lets just let the courts do its thing here, and leave this woman in peace.

[chicagoike]

07:42 AM on 03/24/2009

I see the bloggers here are penny wise and pound foolish, Obama's aunt is living in public housing the outrage, Bush and Cheney gave out no-bid contracts to Blackwater and Haleburton to the tune of billions of dollars and the work was never done and no one said anything.

[elefantnhaus]

06:58 AM on 03/24/2009

i don't understand what that picture of james brown has to do with anything

[Osmona]

09:02 AM on 03/24/2009

You're terrible. LMAO, But she does look like James Brown.

[obamanomics]

05:43 AM on 03/24/2009

The political asylum argument here is such a farce. Heck, why not track all of his relatives down and see if they need protecting? Let the case be decided on it's merits. If she can prove she has the right to be here let her stay, if not the she needs to go.