Mon, November 03, 2008
It's certainly not plush American suburbia, but this housing project in south Boston is where a close family member of the Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has been living for the past four years - allegedly as an illegal alien.
Zeituni Onyango, is part of Barack Obama's large paternal family - his late father's half sister, according to media reports she was instructed to leave the country four years ago by an immigration judge who rejected her request for asylum from her native Kenya.
There was a mixed reaction from residents in the neighbourhood.
SOUNDBITE: James O'Brien, South Boston resident, saying (English):
"If I had an aunt living in the projects...presidential candidate..he should make the right move and get her out of there."
SOUNDBITE: Felice Flores, South Boston resident, saying (English):
"Maybe he didn't know them too well, there's parts of my family I don't know either!!"
SOUNDBITE: Anthony Sandifer, South Boston Resident, saying (English):
"It doesn't have anything to do with his campaign, or his views."
Campaign advisors to Obama say the candidate was unaware of his aunt's immigration status, but if the information is true then obviously believes all appropriate laws should be followed.
Authorities at the housing complex said they first found out about Onyango from a British newspaper.
SOUNDBITE: Bill Mcgonigle, Boston Housing Authority, saying (English):
"We found out through a call to the London Times so yes we were equally as surprised."
Onyango's failure to leave the country would be an administrative, non-criminal violation of immigration law. Such cases are handled outside the criminal court system.
Neena Dhaun, Reuters.
