[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Sign-in] [Mail] [Setup] [Help]
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
|
(s)Elections See other (s)Elections Articles Title: Obama's aunt has April immigration hearing The White House is promising to reconsider a new rule requiring high-level approval before federal immigration agents can arrest fugitives. The Bush administration quietly imposed the unusual directive days before the election of Barack Obama, whose aunt has been living in the United States illegally. The directive from the Homeland Security Department came amid concerns that such arrests might generate “negative media or congressional interest,” according to a newly disclosed federal document obtained by The Associated Press. The directive makes clear that U.S. officials worried about possible election implications of arresting Zeituni Onyango, the half-sister of Obama’s late father, who at the time was living in public housing in Boston. She is now believed to be living in Cleveland. A copy of the directive, “Fugitive Case File Vetting Prior to Arrest,” was released to the AP just over two months after it was requested under the Freedom of Information Act. It does not mention President Obama or any members of his extended family. The directive is still in place, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Kelly Nantel told the AP. It originally was distributed Oct. 31 by e-mail to immigration officers by an assistant director at the agency. Obama was elected president five days later. Nantel said the directive called for close supervision over any cases that could be high profile. She said it was not specific to Obama’s relatives. {snip} Deportation order Obama’s aunt was instructed to leave the country four years ago by an immigration judge who rejected her request for asylum from her native Kenya. The East African nation has been fractured by violence in recent years, including a period of two months of bloodshed after December 2007 that killed 1,500 people. Despite the deportation order, Onyango traveled to Washington last week for her nephew’s inauguration. News organizations observed her attending an inaugural ball at Washington’s Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, a historic luxury hotel, with her immigration lawyer, Margaret Wong. {snip} Rogers said he met Onyango once, in November, and described her as a private, spiritual woman who remains strong despite legal, medical and financial difficulties. “She’s had a hard life but is not feeling sorry for herself,” Rogers said. “She’s strong for a woman who’s been beaten up like she has by life.” Of Obama, he said: “She’s very proud of her nephew.” The government’s Oct. 31 directive was “effective immediately and until further notice,” and required that immigration agents obtain approval from ICE field office directors or deputy directors before arresting fugitives. An approval would depend on an internal review that would consider, among other issues, “any potential for negative media or congressional interest.” {snip} Nantel said there was never any direction that officials should not take action on an enforcement issue. It clarified that potentially high-profile cases needed to be coordinated with the agency’s senior officials. The Homeland Security Department censored parts of the document before turning it over to the AP, citing privacy and law enforcement reasons for withholding some of the information, including the name of the person who sent the e-mail. It also blacked out the names of recipients of the directive, making it impossible to determine whether it was sent to anyone outside the department or outside government. Donations returned Obama’s campaign said in October it was returning $260 that Onyango had contributed in small increments to Obama’s presidential bid over several months. Federal election law prohibits most foreigners from making political donations. Onyango listed her employer as the Boston Housing Authority and last gave $5 on Sept. 19. {snip} Poster's comment: some very good points at the AR source: "The anti-Native Born White nature of the Republican party was obvious as far back as the Nixon adminstration. Affirmative action was hatched in the heads of Richard Nixon, Hadleman and Ehrlicman. Also post-1965 non-white immigration increased during the Nixon years. During the the Reagan years, a major amnest was passed in 1986. The Reagan amnesty created a huge voting block that was crucial to putting the anti-white Kenyan bigot into office. The fact of the matter is, “Conservatives” such as you anonymous voted Republican because you quite enjoyed the wars of aggression of Nixon and Reagan. “Conservatism” for you anonymous and the Southern Baptists means the gargantuan military industrial complex and vicious wars of aggression. However, post-1965 immigration policy which is rapidly bringing about the complete racial and economic dispossession of Native Born White Americans was and continues to be an integral part of the Republican party political platform. If you voted for Nixon,Reagan, Bush 1 and Bush 2 you voted for the complete racial dispossession of Native Born White America. No excuses. You are an adult and you should have known better. You voted for it. And now look at the mess we are in." And this gem: "I’ve said it many times here over the past few years and it mertis repeating: The Republican Party betrayed everything Conservative about America over the past eight years. It now sickens me to see any of them pretending to stand up to Democrats. I hope and pray that no one here is fooled by their nonsense. The fact is that I voted for Bush twice. I am a tradional Conservative from a long line of traditional Conservatives. Conservatism no longer equates to the RNC. Bush and his fellow Republicans in congress had six years of unlimited control of the federal government to take America toward Conservative values. They did the opposite and betrayed the Conservative voters who elected him. McCain, the traitor, would have been worse, I have no doubt. Of course, Obama is a bitter enemy to Conservatism, but he never pretended to be a friend. I have no doubt that four years under Obama will ruin the nation even more than it is ruined now, but who can honestly say these days that Republicans are better. Frankly, they are not. I do not perceive any differences between Democrats and Republicans any longer. In 2008, I supported and voted for Chuck Baldwin after learning about him here. I doubt I will ever be able to stomach voting for (much less contributing money to) a Republican again. Of course, I would rather die than vote for a Democrat."
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 1.
#1. To: X-15 (#0)
Do you know if she met with Obama?
#3. To: Old Friend (#1)
We may never know. Embrace the transparency of the Obama administration.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest |
||
|
[Home]
[Headlines]
[Latest Articles]
[Latest Comments]
[Post]
[Sign-in]
[Mail]
[Setup]
[Help]
|
||