Leak On Obama's Aunt Violates ICE Guidelines

[cal04]

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/11/leak_on_obamas_aunt_violates_i.php

The leaking of information about the immigration status of Barack Obama's aunt appears to directly violate guidelines for confidentiality laid out in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo obtained by TPMmuckraker.

As we reported earlier, ICE has begun an internal probe into the leak to the Associated Press, which revealed early this morning that Obama's aunt "is in the United States illegally after an immigration judge rejected her request for asylum four years ago."

The memo, written in 2005 by Joseph Langlois, director of the Asylum Division in the Office of Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations, reads in part:

The federal regulations at 8 CFR 208.6 generally prohibit the disclosure to third parties of information contained in or pertaining to asylum applications, credible fear determinations, and reasonable fear determinations--including information contained in RAPS or APSS1--except under certain limited circumstances. These regulations safeguard information that, if disclosed publicly, could subject the claimant to retaliatory measures by government authorities or non-state actors in the event that the claimant is repatriated, or endanger the security of the claimant's family members who may still be residing in the country of origin.
...

According to established guidance, confidentiality is breached when information contained in or pertaining to an asylum application (including information contained in RAPS or APSS) is disclosed to a third party in violation of the regulations, and the unauthorized disclosure is of a nature that allows the third party to link the identity of the applicant to: (1) the fact that the applicant has applied for asylum; (2) specific facts or allegations pertaining to the individual asylum claim contained in an asylum application; or (3) facts or allegations that are sufficient to give rise to a reasonable inference that the applicant has applied for asylum.

[corkhead]

1. Hopefully we are seeing the end of IOKIYR

[itsrobert]

2. The only way this is a story is

if a United States Senator (Obama) pulled some strings to get a relative a green card. Apparently, he has not. No story.

[rebel with a cause]

4. Oh, but he is wanting immigration reform

and don't you think those idiots will try to say it is just so he can get his relatives a break. They will not take into consideration that he has very little connection to his relatives from Kenya. And their big question will be: what did he know and when did he know it? Again they are stupid and idiotic.

If I was running for office and my opponent knew all the secrets I know about other people, I wonder what I would be categorized as. After all, I use to be the confidant to many that I knew well, and for some that I barely knew. My brain got so tired that I finally just withdrew from everyone. I personally don't like secrets.

[dennis4868]

3. hmmmm.

Bush's administration leaking confidential information for political gain?? They would never do that, right? hahaha....

[AtomicKitten]

5. They don't need no stinkin' rules.