Asylum and Its Discontents in the United States
As the Syrian city of Aleppo falls under government control, the question of Syrian refugees has become even more urgent. Forces loyal to the government are summarily murdering civilians, and even the wounded cannot be evacuated due to government (and Russian) military action. Despite heartbreaking “goodbye messages” from civilians trapped in the conflict zone, I have little … Read more
Just prior to the 2008 presidential election, the AP broke a story about Candidate Obama’s Aunt Zeituni, a rejected asylum seeker who was living in the U.S. illegally. The source for the story was an unnamed “federal law enforcement official.” At the time, it appeared that the leak was designed to harm Obama’s chances for … Read more
I wrote recently about the ongoing insubordination at ICE. The most recent flare up involves a dispute over a new memo, Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion Consistent with the Civil Immigration Enforcement Priorities of the Agency for the Apprehension, Detention, and Removal of Aliens. The memo basically prioritizes who should be deported and directs ICE to target … Read more
In May 2010, an Immigration Judge in Boston granted asylum to President Obama’s aunt, Zeituni Onyango. The decision sparked protests from some who claimed (without evidence) that the President used his influence to help his relative. Now, the Boston Globe reports that the IJ’s decision has been released in response to a Freedom of Information Act … Read more