The Auntie Z Oversight
Document-challenged Americans, undocumented immigrants, whatever, A-OK in Massachusetts-funded public housing. As for Auntie Z, in fed/state-funded housing, apparently she was legal before she was illegal, when the don’t-ask, don’t-tell, don’t-bother-to-notify policy kicked in. Boston Herald:
A Boston Housing Authority official said yesterday the agency was never notified of a deportation order issued for Barack Obama’s aunt, who has been living in federal- and state-funded public housing in South Boston since 2003.
BHA Deputy Director William McGonagle said Zeituni Onyango, 56, a native of Kenya, met the criteria to live in federally funded housing when she applied in 2003. The Associated Press reported yesterday that an immigration judge instructed Onyango to leave the country in 2004 after her asylum request was denied.
“The deportation order, based on my understanding, based on what I’ve read in the newspaper, was issued after she moved into public housing in Boston and we would have no way of knowing if there was an order or not,” McGonagle said.
“We check with the applicant about their citizenship status at the time of application. We have no affirmative responsibility I am aware of to further check on their status after they are initially deemed to be eligible.”
Onyango, who is the half-sister of Obama’s late father, lived at the federally subsidized Old Colony development in South Boston from 2003 to 2007. She moved to her current residence, the state-funded West Broadway development on Flaherty Way in South Boston, in January, McGonagle said.
To qualify for federally funded public housing, tenants must prove that at least one household member is a citizen or an “eligible noncitizen.” Eligible noncitizens include immigrants with a resident alien card, temporary resident card, employment authorization card or proof of refugee or asylee status, according to the BHA’s Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policies.
Unlike the case with federal public housing, tenants moving into state-funded housing in Massachusetts do not have to prove their citizenship or immigration status. According to the state Department of Housing and Community Development, “As a result of a consent decree in federal court in 1977, the state cannot deny state-subsidized public housing to undocumented immigrants.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security screens all noncitizen applicants for eligibility, the BHA said. McGonagle said he did not know which immigration class Onyango fell into when she was approved in 2003.
“When she applied and throughout the screening process, we applied all of the neccesary rules and followed all the necessary rules and she was determined eligible,” McGonagle said.
A one-person household must earn less than $43,600 annually to qualify for a state or federal public housing unit managed by the BHA. Rents at Onyango’s West Broadway residence are calculated at 32 percent of a resident’s income.
Since 2006, state Sen. Robert L. Hedlund Jr. (R-Weymouth) has tried three times to close the loophole that makes state-funded public housing available to illegal immigrants. All those efforts failed in legislative conference committees, Hedlund said yesterday.
“It is a massive, absurd loophole that we can fix very easily,” Hedlund said. “We’ve got some people in the Legislature that think it’s acceptable because these people are vulnerable and need housing, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of some of the 100,000 people who are on the waiting list here in the commonwealth.”
Last Republican in Massachusetts, my state senator, keeps trying to turn the lights on but they won’t let him. Almost the last one, anyway.
No one answered the door yesterday at Onyango’s apartment at 111 Flaherty Way. One neighbor said Obama’s aunt had not been home since Thursday.
And won’t be seen again till Wednesday, after which its green card or viva Nairobi!
Don’t worry, Congress is going to get all over this deplorable, deportable situation. Malkin: Conyers calls for invest on Auntie Z leak. Whoever revealed that Obama’s relatives live here illegally at the taxpayer’s expense must pay!
The national press is zeroing in on the heart of this scandal. No, not how come we have illegals in public housing, silly. Who told!?! There’ll be hell to pay.
Politico: Auntie disclosure raises questions. No, not what the heck is the beloved aunt of the millionaire Democratic candidate doing living illegally in taxpayer-subsidized poverty, silly. Who told!?!
Ace: Truth = Smear!
Outside the Beltway: McCain camp takes the high road on “family matter.” … But what about the consmearacy!
Protein Wisdom: Apparently, a fugitive alien has a greater expectation of a right to privacy than an American citizen …
Steyn notes Auntie’s not just an illegal alien, but one of the select subset of fugitive aliens and adds, different party, different rules.
Previously:
Anatomy of an Anatomy of a Smear of a Smear
Related:
In ongoing efforts by evil puppetmaster “Murdock” to destroy Obama,* Times of London reports that an Oxford don was drafted in a bid to show Ayers ghost wrote the Obama tome, but rightwing conspiracy echo-origination mechanism bagged it after learning the results would not be favorable.
* Vast conspiracy revealed here.
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 9:15 am on Sunday, November 2, 2008
2 Responses to “The Auntie Z Oversight”
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November 2nd, 2008 at 3:18 pm
You can see what the plan is: Obama makes $4 million a year and we all kick in to pay for his illegal alien aunt’s rent via the tax system (with a lot of the money we kick in going directly into the pockets of guys like Obama). Dave Surls makes $75,000 a year and takes care of his family members on Dave Surls’ dime. Then Obama talks about how greedy everyone but Obama is.
Needless to say, this isn’t a plan Dave Surls is likely to sign up for.
November 2nd, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Oh, I almost forgot. Not only does our tax money go to pay Auntie’s rent, but the BHA gives her a little extra taxpayer money, so she can donate it to her nephew’s political campaign in violation of the law.
Sweet deal…for the Obamas.