As he was being booked on the charges, police said Obama could make a phone call. He answered, “I think I’d like to call the White House,’’ according to the Framingham police report.
Patel, his boss at Conti Liquors, said Obama earned about $1,300 a month and was never any trouble.
Patel said Obama presented a valid Social Security number when he applied for the job.
“He never talked about his immigration status,’’ he said. “It never crossed our minds, he had aW-2 and everything.’’
Patel said he used Obama as his first name, the reverse of the name on his license and in court documents. Court documents show conflicting information for his age; he is in his 60s.
Richard Nangle, spokesman for the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, said Obama had presented a valid Social Security number at least since 1992, the earliest electronic records available, to get his driver’s license.
Mark Hinkle, spokesman for the Social Security Administration, said legally admitted immigrants can obtain a Social Security number. But he would not answer questions about what happens to that number if the immigrant is ordered deported.
He referred questions to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, which enforces immigration law.
ICE spokesman Brian P. Hale said the agency does not comment on specific cases.
The federal immigration court, which is under the Department of Justice, also declined to comment, in contrast to 2009, when the court provided detailed information on his sister’s case.
Lauren Alder Reid, counsel for legislative and public affairs at the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which runs the immigration courts, said she could not comment without a privacy waiver signed by Obama or his representative.
“Every situation is handled on a case by case basis, and some cases require privacy waivers in order for us to disclose information,’’ she said. She would not say why Obama’s case was different.
A spokesman for Obama’s attorney, Margaret Wong in Cleveland, who also represented his sister in immigration court, did not respond to repeated telephone calls yesterday.
John R. Ellement and Lisa Tuite of the Globe staff contributed to this story. Sacchetti can be reached at msacchetti@globe.com.; Adams at dadams@globe.com.