Obama: Law must be followed in aunt's case

Barack Obama said this evening that he's concerned about his aunt, who has reportedly been living illegally in Boston, but said immigration laws must be followed.

"If she is violating laws, those laws have to be obeyed," Obama said in an interview with Katie Couric aired on CBS News.  "We're a nation of laws.  Obviously that doesn't lessen my concern for her. I haven't been able to be in touch with her.  But I'm a strong believer you have to obey the law."

Zeituni Onyango, the half-sister of Obama's late father, was ordered to leave the United States four years ago after an immigration judge denied her request for political asylum from Kenya, the Associated Press has reported.

The AP reported today that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement asked its inspector general and the Office of Professional Responsibility on Saturday to investigate whether any policies were violated when information about Onyango's case was publicly disclosed.

She has been living quietly in two public housing complexes in Boston since 2003. Obama's campaign says that he had seen Onyango on a few occasions, and she attended Obama's swearing-in at the US Senate in January 2005. Obama last heard from her about two years ago, when she called to say she was in Boston, according to his campaign.

Onyango had contributed $260 to Obama's presidential bid in small installments, but with federal law prohibiting foreigners from contributing to political candidates, his campaign said it was returning the money.