Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama says that his Kenyan aunt, who is living illegally in the United States, should be deported.

"If she is violating laws, those laws have to be obeyed," Obama said in a Sunday interview with CBS, which is scheduled to be aired on Monday.

On Friday it was reported that Kenyan Oyanango Obama, 56, was living in Boston illegally.

"We're a nation of laws," Obama said in the CBS interview, adding that "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."

Following the leak of the news, the Obama camp said it would return the USD 265 that Oyanango had donated to the Illinois senator's bid for presidency, AFP reported. Foreigners who do not hold US citizenship are not allowed to donate money to US political campaigns.

The US Department of Homeland Security launched an investigation into whether the Oyanango leak was in violation of its Privacy Policy. Under federal law the legal status of immigrants should not be disclosed by government agencies, The Washington Post reported on Sunday.

Obama is currently campaigning in Ohio, one of about a dozen crucial battleground states that will decide Tuesday's presedential election.

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