UPDATED:
One congressman wants to know if President Obama’s half-uncle will be granted “amnesty” under new rules the Obama administration announced earlier this month designed to let lower-priority illegal immigrants remain in the country.
Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican who has fought for an immigration crackdown, said Onyango Obama, a relative of the president, “will have an advantage … when it comes time to determine who is granted amnesty.”
“This raises a troubling list of questions about the potential for preferential treatment,” Mr. King said.
He and several other members of Congress have called for hearings to investigate the new rules, announced by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano two weeks ago.
Under those rules, immigrants who are in deportation proceedings will be evaluated and, if they are not deemed high priority targets, officials are allowed to use discretion to end proceedings.
Those under final orders for deportation are not subject to the new rules yet, though Ms. Napoltiano has asked a working group to see if it can provide discretion in those cases, too.
According to news reports, Onyango Obama is currently violating a deportation order.
Asked Tuesday morning whether he would be eligible for special treatment, Miss Napolitano told reporters she couldn’t comment on a specific case.
“I really don’t know about it,” she said.
