BOSTON -- President Barack Obama's aunt on his Kenyan father's side, 57-year old Zeituni Onyango, pleaded for political asylum before a Boston court Thursday in a case that has not received widespread coverage from the courts.

Onyango appeared in a Boston federal immigration court for a hearing regarding her plea for asylum in the U.S. She's been living in violation of the law after ignoring an order for deportation issued in 2004.

Onyanga's defense attorney, Margaret Wong, is arguing that the President's aunt should not be deported due to serious medical issues. However, Wong has also stated a backup argument will be the threat of violence that exists in Kenya due to warring tribes.

The proceeding is being held before Judge Leonard Shapiro behind closed-doors. Wong said that Onyango would appeal if ordered deported. The U.S. government also has the right of appeal, but some observers believe such an appeal by prosecutors is unlikely.

Although living illegally in the U.S. for years, with the knowledge of the entire Obama family, Onyango was discovered by investigative bloggers in 2008. Not surprising to media critics, the mainstream news organizations ignored the story or relegated it to newspapers' back-pages as unsubstantiated allegations until after the election, according to political strategist Mike Baker.

"She's the aunt of the president of the United States -- the most famous man in the world," Mike Rogers, spokesman for the Ohio law firm defending Onyango, told the Boston Herald.

Some political opponents of the leftist President believe that this illegal alien aunt is the reason for Obama's wish to give amnesty to millions of foreign nationals illegally living and working in the United States.

"My contacts in Washington tell me that there is a strong possibility that after the November election cycle, there will be a renewed attempt to finally give illegal aliens full amnesty," said Baker.

"It's not absurd to believe the President would use his power to save his father's sister," he said.