Obama’s aunt steels self for 2nd bid for political asylum in federal immigration court
By Denise Lavoie, APWednesday, February 3, 2010
Obama aunt girds for new bid to avoid deportation
BOSTON — President Barack Obama’s aunt will make a second bid for political asylum as she goes before an immigration judge to argue that she should be allowed to stay in the United States.
Kenya native Zeituni Onyango, (zay-TUH’-nee awn-YAHN’-goh) will appear in U.S. Immigration Court in Boston on Thursday.
Onyango moved to the United States in 2000. Her first asylum request was rejected and she was ordered deported in 2004. But she did not leave the country and continued to live in public housing in Boston.
Her status as an illegal immigrant was revealed just days before Obama was elected. Obama said he didn’t know his aunt was living here illegally and believes laws covering the situation should be followed.
A judge later agreed to reopen her asylum case.
