How Melania Trump's Parents Obtained Citizenship Through A System Much Criticized By The US President
President Donald Trump's in-laws are officially citizens of the United States and the question that many are asking is how did they do it?
Victor and Amalija Knavs, originally from Slovenia, took the oath to obtain citizenship in a private ceremony in New York.
The immigration status of the parents of the first American lady had become relevant in February when her lawyer confirmed that they had a permanent legal residence (green card), without specifying how or when they obtained it.
When the couple's immigration attorney, Michael Wildes, was asked if they had obtained citizenship over the controversial "chain migration," according to The New York Times, he replied, "I guess."
"It is a very dirty expression, but it represents a cornerstone of our immigration process when it comes to family reunification," the New York newspaper quotes.
The controversy stems from President Trump having openly criticized family-based immigration that allows citizens to bring close relatives to the United States.
"CHAIN MIGRATION must end now! Some people come in and bring their whole family with them, who may be real villains. UNACCEPTABLE!" He wrote on Twitter on November 1.
In his speeches, Trump often speaks of family reunification as a way to allow terrorists to enter the country legally.
And now, Wildes told The New York Times, we know that it was precisely that legal figure that the first lady's parents used to become citizens because it was she who sponsored their papers.
In fact, Trump's complaints on Twitter and in his speeches coincided with the time his in-laws were going through this process.
