Obama's Uncle Gets License Back

The president’s uncle, who works in Grafton and is in the country illegally, has received a new driver's license

Onyango Obama, 67, went to the Worcester branch of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles Tuesday and got a new license, according to Registry spokesperson Sara Lavoie.

Obama applied for and received a hardship driver's license. That license allowed him to drive during certain house, so he could continue to work, including his job at Five Star Liquors in Grafton.

“The hardship restriction was lifted today as allowed by law,” Lavoie told the Boston Herald.

Obama has held a Massachusetts Driver's license since sometime in the 1990s.

The state's registry has said it is not currently required by state law to check immigration status before issuing a license.

Obama has a valid Social Security number, even though he is in the United States illegally.

The idea that someone who is in the United States illegally can be granted a driver's license has frustrated some lawmakers and politicians.

“It defies common sense. I can’t comprehend how the president’s uncle can have his license reinstated while we’re all quite aware of ... his immigration status,” said Worcester County Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis, one of several lawmen who fought to bring the federal Secure Communities program to Massachusetts so immigration authorities will be notified every time an illegal alien is arrested.

“And I know I’m not alone,” Evangelidis told the Boston Herald. “This whole thing is preposterous. But unfortunately, it’s not funny anymore.”