Immigration agents cautioned: Use care

by Mark Silva

The Obama administration is "promising to reconsider a new rule requiring high-level approval before federal immigration agents can arrest fugitives,'' the AP reports, noting that the Bush administration "quietly imposed the unusual directive days before the election of Obama,'' whose aunt has been living in the U.S. illegally.

The Homeland Security directive was issued "amid concerns that such arrests might generate 'negative media or congressional interest,' according to a document obtained by The Associated Press, as reported by Ted Bridis and Eileen Sullvan.

"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,''' they report of an aunt to the president now believed to have taken up residence in Cleveland.

The AP obtained a copy of the directive, "Fugitive Case File Vetting Prior to Arrest," wo months after it was requested under the Freedom of Information Act. It does not mention President Obama or any members of his extended family.

One of Obama's first orders in office, interestingly enough, was to instruct federal agencies to give the benefit of the doubt to openness when fielding requests for information under FOIA.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - gotta love that agency acronym, ICE -- spokeswoman Kelly Nantel told the AP that the directive was first distributed Oct. 31 by e-mail to immigration officers -- hours before the AP first reported on Obama's aunt. The agency spokeswoman maintained that the directive, calling for close supervision of any potentially high profile cases, was not specific to Obama's relatives.

The White House told the AP that the Obama administration hadn't been briefed on why the directive was issued, and will consider whether to overturn it. "Like other rules and directives issued by the previous administration, it will be reviewed and revoked if it does not serve the best interests of the American people," the White House told the AP.

A spokesman for the White House also said that the president "has not contacted any government agency regarding Ms. Onyango's case, nor has any representative of the president."

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.

Despite the deportation order, which she is fighting with hopes of remaining in the U.S., Onyango, 56, traveled to Washington last week for her nephew's inauguration. News organizations observed her attending an inaugural ball at Washington's Renaissance Mayflower Hotel with her immigration lawyer, Margaret Wong.

Obama has said he didn't know his aunt was living in the U.S. illeally and believes that laws covering the situation should be followed.

The White House said late Sunday that Onyango's lawyer contacted Obama's lawyer to confirm Wong's role in the case, the AP reports. "They agreed at the time that the case should proceed in the ordinary course, with neither the president nor his representatives having any involvement," the White House said.

The Homeland Security Department censored parts of the document - including the name of the person who sent the email and recipients of the directive -- before releasing it to the AP, citing privacy and law enforcement reasons for withholding some of the information.

The Associated Press provided this report.