The news that an aunt of Obama’s was found living illegally in the country in Boston has been making the rounds. The main thrust of the MSM is that the federal government is investigating whether someone in the government illegally “leaked” the news to the press, rather than the fact that his aunt, who’s been living in the United States for years as an illegal immigrant, has been residing in a federal and state funded housing project, essentially living on American taxpayer subsidized welfare.

According to the Boston Herald, Obama’s aunt, Zeituni Onyango, 56, a native of Kenya, “met the criteria” for eligibility to live in federal and state funded public housing when she applied in 2003. Onyango was denied asylum by a judge in 2004 and ordered to return to her native homeland but continued to reside in South Boston at the expense of tax payers.

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.

Not only did Obama’s aunt receive federal and state assistance but Massachussetts law, due to a Federal Court ruling in 1977, does not allow any questions of an applicants 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.”

This begs the question: how many illegal immigrants are residing in taxpayer subsidized housing across the nation?

In 2006, the state of Colorado passed a bill which would bar an estimated 50,000 illegal immigrants from receiving public assistance in the form of public housing.

It’s impossible to estimate the total number of illegal immigrants who live in federal and state subsidized housing as it’s illegal to “ask” when they apply. Therefore, the only information given to taxpayers, whose generosity built and fund the housing projects, is the total number of “immigrants”, both legal and illegal.

According to Federal Election Commission documents filed by the Obama campaign, Onyango has contributed $260 to Obama over a period of time. Under federal election law, only U.S. citizens or green-card holders are legally permitted to give money to campaigns. Onyango, who listed her employer as the Boston Housing Authority, gave in small increments to the Obama campaign. Her latest contribution was $5 on Sept. 19.

Obama denied that he knew his aunt was living illegally in the United States. He had initially invited his aunt to the states and she attended his swearing in ceremony in January of 2005 when he was elected as a United States Senator. She also sent Obama contributions for his campaign and was written about in his book, “Dreams of my Father”. Even so, Obama claims he had “no idea” his aunt was living in Boston as an illegal immigrant.

By LBG

Image – Welfare State