DHS Leaks Confidential Asylum Information for Political Ends

by Dave Bennion

Published November 02, 2008 @ 09:09PM PT

Greg Siskind brings updates on initial blowback from the leak of confidential information about asylum-seeker Zeituni Onyango by DHS employees in a last-minute effort to tank the Obama campaign.

First, Congressman John Conyers sent a stern letter to DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff

I was startled to read in today's Associated Press that a "federal law enforcement official" has leaked information about an immigration case involving a relative of Senator Obama. Even more troubling, the AP reports that it could not "could not establish whether anyone at a political level in the Bush administration or in the McCain campaign had been involved," a very disturbing suggesting indeed. This leak is deplorable and I urge you to take immediate action to investigate and discipline those responsible.

Then yesterday, ICE press secretary Kelly Nantel said:

Early this morning, the matter was refered to Inspector General and ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility for action. They are looking into whether there was a violation of policy in publicly disclosing individual case information.

Kyle de Beausset points out the regulation that appears to have been violated by the subject of this investigation-8 CFR 208.6(b) (pdf):

The confidentiality of other records kept by the Service and the Executive Office for Immigration Review that indicate that a specific alien has applied for asylum, received a credible fear or reasonable fear interview, or received a credible fear or reasonable fear review shall also be protected from disclosure.

It's hard to see how DHS can spin its way out of this one, given the description of the sourcing in Friday's AP article.

And Duke at the Sanctuary spells out the government's role in this leak:

[T]he authorities have kept her under wraps until they could use her as a pawn for political gain.

And here is where I see her as symbol for the whole immigration debate.

The right wing has used 12 mil people as political pawns from the start of this current debate. If we look at everything they've done from passing HR4437, which they knew would never get through the Senate, to the failed CIR attempts, to the current fascists crackdowns...it's all been nothing more than political theater. played against the backdrop of real human suffering.

And now they wheel out Obama's Aunt.

They could have finished her case and deported her ages ago if that was in fact their intent. But it wasn't. They're intent was to keep her around to use as a pawn to whip up the base, and peel off independents.

And is that really any different from anything else that's been going on for the last few years to the rest of the migrant population?

Of course not.

They've been demonized, harassed and persecuted in an attempt to maintain political power.

All those on the right who have claimed to want to solve this "problem" with enforcement, and those who claim to want to "fix" the system, have in reality showed very little concern for accomplishing that task.  They still believe that there's too much political gain from perpetuating the current situation. ..And Obama's aunt is a prime example of that. She's just another person of color stuck in a failed system, that doesn't work, who can be used at the appropriate time to beat down a political foe.

But the scheme doesn't seem to be working.  It has not dominated the headlines that I have seen, though I don't often visit Malkin or PowerTools.  It may have been the only thing O'Hannibaugh talked about all weekend, for all I know.

But the old politics of racial resentment don't have the same punch they used to.  In fact, they seem to be hurting the GOP rather than helping.

The question is, will the Democrats figure this out when it's time to debate the next comprehensive immigration bill in the coming months?  Or will they take the politically foolish, morally repugnant route that they seem to have sketched out so far this year?