Zeituni Onyango

Three Years Later, ICE Still Probing Who Leaked Immigration Status Of President Obama's Aunt

Ryan J. Reilly | January 13, 2012, 3:30PM

Three years, two months and a week -- more than 1100 days -- after the 2008 presidential election, internal investigators at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are still probing who leaked the immigration status of then-Sen. Barack Obama's aunt Zeituni Onyango just three days before voters went to the polls.

Relevant files from ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility are "part of an ongoing investigation" and will not be disclosed, an ICE official wrote in a Jan. 11 response to TPM's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for documents related to the investigation.

Read more »

Joe Arpaio

Sheriff Joe Arpaio: DOJ 'Sneak Attack' Is Just Part Of Obama's Reelection Bid (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | December 16, 2011, 3:35PM

Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Friday that the Justice Department's extensive three-and-a-half-year probe of his Maricopa County Sheriff's Office was all just part of a bid for President Obama to win the Hispanic vote in 2012, even though the investigation began five months before Obama was even elected.

Responding to the Civil Rights Division's findings that Arpaio "promoted a culture of bias" within the MCSO where detention officers called Latino inmates "wetbacks" and "Mexican bitches," Arpaio took to Fox News on Friday afternoon to criticize Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez for opening up DOJ's Thursday press conference with the words "buenos dias."

Read more »

Joe Arpaio

Arpaio Critics: Want Reform? Sheriff Joe Has To Go

Ryan J. Reilly and Jillian Rayfield | December 15, 2011, 5:12PM

The findings in DOJ's investigation of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office didn't surprise many local longtime critics of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, many of whom said Thursday that his departure would be the only way to put a stop to his office's deep-seated bias.

Read more »

Janet Napolitano

DHS Cuts Off Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Access To ICE Programs

Ryan J. Reilly | December 15, 2011, 2:04PM

Updated: 2:55PM

The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement just cut off the Maricopa County's Sheriff's Office's access to the Secure Communities program and terminated an agreement which lets them detain individuals in the country illegally after their initial arrest.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement that the decision was based on the Justice Department's findings of discriminatory policing practices by MCSO and Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Read more »

Department of Homeland Security

DHS Will Review All Incoming Cases In Immigration Court

David Taintor | November 17, 2011, 3:34PM

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano

The Obama administration on Thursday started a review of all incoming -- and some pending -- deportation cases, the Department of Homeland Security said.

Read more »

Tennessee

ICE Sued For Alleged Warrantless Raid In TN: 'We're ICE...The Warrant Is Coming Out Of My Balls'

Jillian Rayfield | October 24, 2011, 1:50PM

The Tennessee chapter of the ACLU is suing Immigration and Customs Enforcement over an alleged warrantless raid on an apartment complex housing people suspected of being illegal immigrants, during which an officer reportedly said "we don't need a warrant, we're ICE."

Read more »

ICE

Obama Admin Sets Record For Number Of Illegal Immigrants Deported

Ryan J. Reilly | October 18, 2011, 3:03PM

President Barack Obama

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported more illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2011 than in any other year in its history, the agency announced Tuesday.

Overall, the agency removed 396,906 individuals, nearly 55 percent (or 216,698) of whom had been convicted of felonies or misdemeanors, ICE said. That group included 1,119 illegal immigrants convicted of homicide and "5,848 aliens convicted of sexual offenses; 44,653 aliens convicted of drug related crimes; and 35,927 aliens convicted of driving under the influence," according to ICE.

"Smart and effective immigration enforcement relies on setting priorities for removal and executing on those priorities," ICE Director John Morton said in a statement.

Read more »

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

ICE Agent Pleads Guilty To Selling Thousands Of Dollars In Government Gear On EBay

Jillian Rayfield | October 7, 2011, 5:38AM

A former Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in New Jersey pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of dollars worth of government equipment, including printer cartridges, life-jackets, rappelling rope and a cold-water survival suit, and selling it over the internet.

Read more »

Steve King

Steve King Says Obama's 'Drunken Uncle Omar' Should Be Called Before Congress (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | September 13, 2011, 11:56AM

Rep. Steve King (R-IA)

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) wants to bring President Obama's uncle, Onyango Obama, before Congress to testify on whether he received preferential treatment after he was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

"We have to bring drunken 'Uncle Omar' in front of the House Judiciary Committee, drill down into this, and tell America what's going on," King told Fox News, referring to Obama's uncle, who is in the country illegally.

Read more »

Lamar Smith

Lamar Smith: Obama's 'Backdoor Amnesty' Benefits 'Drunk-Driving Illegal Immigrants Like His Uncle'

Ryan J. Reilly | September 9, 2011, 2:20PM

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX)

Updated: September 9, 2011, 3:45PM

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) is accusing President Barack Obama of a "double standard" because his uncle, an illegal immigrant, was released from prison after he was arrested from driving under the influence.

Obama's uncle Onyango Obama was arrested in Massachusetts last month, charged with failing to yield, operating a motor vehicle to endanger and a DUI.

Read more »

Department of Homeland Security

Report: ICE Took Action Against Illegal Immigrants After Traffic Violations, Loitering

Jillian Rayfield | August 19, 2011, 8:59AM

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano

A report on the Department of Homeland Security's "Secure Communities" immigration enforcement program by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) finds that in 127 cases, the DHS took action against illegal immigrants for minor offenses, despite calling for a focus on "highest enforcement priorities" like convicted felons or national security threats.

Read more »

Immigration

DHS Halts Some Deportation Cases, Will Conduct Case By Case Review

Jillian Rayfield | August 18, 2011, 5:45PM

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano

The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that it would change the way it handles deportation cases of illegal immigrants to allow those who qualify to apply to stay in the country on a work permit, while prioritizing the cases of convicted criminals.

Read more »

Department of Homeland Security

DHS Says States Can't Opt Out Of Program To Deport Illegal Immigrants With Criminal Records

Jillian Rayfield | August 10, 2011, 6:00AM

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano

The Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement will no longer require a governor's signature before it implements a controversial program that allows states to share information about illegal immigrants with criminal records -- which is often used to deport them.

Read more »

Barack Obama

ICE Ethics Office Still Investigating Who Leaked Immigration Status Of Obama's Aunt

Ryan J. Reilly | March 3, 2011, 9:40AM

Zeituni Onyango, President Obama's aunt.

Two years and four months after someone disclosed the immigration status of then-candidate Barack Obama's aunt to the media ahead of the 2008 election, government investigators are still probing whether any federal officials improperly leaked the information.

Read more »

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

2 U.S. Immigration Agents Shot In Mexico

Eric Lach | February 15, 2011, 6:48PM

Two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents were shot in Mexico earlier today, the agency has announced. The agents were driving between Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico, and were attacked by "unknown assailants."

Read more »

Immigration

Immigration Officials May Allow TVU Students To Stay

Meena Rupani | February 11, 2011, 2:07PM

Tri-Valley University

Students duped in the Tri-Valley University scam were given some relief on Thursday after ICE officials announced guidelines that may enable them to stay in the U.S. to finish their studies. The students, 95 percent of which were Indian nationals, will not be automatically deported as they initially feared.

Students have three options, according to ICE officials -- but only one of them involves staying to complete their schooling.

Read more »

Immigration

Tri-Valley University Founder Investigated for Immigration Fraud

Meena Rupani | February 9, 2011, 12:25PM

Susan Su, founder of Tri Valley University

A government sting operation in mid-January caught Susan Su, founder of Tri-Valley University, allegedly selling student visas. Su was immediately arrested and authorities told The Times of India that she will be charged with money laundering and visa fraud.

Su had reportedly been selling the student visas for $100 to mainly Indian nationals since May 2009 -- in addition to charging them $2,700 per semester. Su apparently used the tuition and fees collected from those students to purchase five properties in California.

Suspicions arose when half of the 1,500 students enrolled in the university claimed to be residing in an apartment complex in Sunnyvale, the court complaint reads. In reality, majority of the students were taking classes online in addition to working and residing elsewhere.

Read more »

Barack Obama

Still No Culprit In Leak Of Obama's Aunt's Immigration Status

Ryan J. Reilly | December 6, 2010, 11:30AM

Zeituni Onyango, President Obama's aunt.

Over two years after a somebody leaked the immigration status of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama's aunt to the media just days ahead of the 2008 election, it still isn't clear if any federal officials have been held accountable for the illegal disclosure.

In response to a Freedom of Information Act from TPM, the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General searched the office's "investigative indices" using both Barack Obama and Zeituni Onyango as search terms and found no records.

Read more »

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Feds Raid Illegal Retail Websites -- But Some Just Pop Back Up

Eric Lach | November 29, 2010, 3:42PM

Attorney General Eric Holder

In a move timed to disrupt illegal retail activity on "cyber Monday," the government has executed seizure orders against 82 domain names of websites selling counterfeit goods or enabling illegal file-sharing, the DOJ announced today. But some of the websites whose URLs were seized last week have already migrated to new web addresses, and are back up and running.

Read more »

Immigration

DHS Official: Investigation Into Leak on Obama's Aunt Will Conclude Shortly

Ryan J. Reilly | August 19, 2010, 8:00AM

Assistant Secretary John Morton

An investigation into whether any officials from the U.S. Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement improperly disclosed the legal status of the aunt of then-Sen. Barack Obama shortly before the 2008 election will come to a conclusion shortly, TPMMuckraker has learned.

The Office of Professional Responsibility at ICE is expected to make a recommendation in the coming days and weeks, a Department of Homeland Security official speaking on condition of anonymity told TPMMuckraker.

Read more »

Thanks for The Help

Obama's Aunt Given Asylum Due To Pre-Election Leaks

Ryan J. Reilly | August 18, 2010, 1:37PM

Zeituni Onyango, President Obama's aunt.

Three months ago, an immigration judge granted President Obama's aunt asylum in the United States. While the decision was made public, the written document detailing the reasoning was kept secret because of federal privacy laws.

But the Boston Globe reported yesterday that the judge based his decision in Zeituni Onyango's case on the fact that an anonymous federal official disclosed information about her immigration status shortly before the 2008 presidential campaign.

Read more »

Arizona

Report: Sheriff Joe Has Helped Kick Out 26K Immigrants Since '07

Eric Lach | July 28, 2010, 2:04PM

Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Who needs a new immigration law? Sheriff Joe's been booting immigrants out of the country at an astonishing rate for the last three years.

Under a government program that allows local law enforcement agencies to deputize officers to work on immigration enforcement, Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Maricopa County office has helped deport or force the departure of 26,146 immigrants since 2007, according to The Associated Press. That's more than 20 percent of the nationwide total made through the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program.

Read more »

Immigration

Feds Investigating The Source Of The Utah Immigrants List

Rachel Slajda | July 15, 2010, 12:40PM

At least one federal agency is now involved in the investigation into a mysterious list of the names of 1,300 purported illegal immigrants that was sent to state agencies and news outlets this week in Utah, TPMmuckraker has learned. But, despite the intention of the list-maker, the feds are investigating not the people on the list, but the person who generated it.

The Social Security Administration's Inspector General received a copy of the list -- which includes names, addresses, birth dates and, in 30 cases, Social Security numbers -- yesterday, according to spokesman Jonathan Lasher.

Read more »