Melania and EB-1 visa: Why some Americans want their first lady deported

An increasing number of Americans are calling for President Donald Trump's family to be subjected to the same immigration standards that he promotes, especially as he amplifies his demands for stricter immigration laws and the deportation of naturalised citizens.

A petition on MoveOn, created to spotlight what critics view as hypocrisy in Trump's immigration stance, gained traction earlier this year. The petition requests the deportation of First Lady Melania Trump, her son Barron and her father Viktor Knavs, Indian magazine The Week reports.

Entitled "Deport Melania, Melania's parents and Baron in the first round of deportations", the petition had attracted 13,803 signatures as of this afternoon (18 November).

It argues that since Melania is a naturalised citizen, she and her family should be among the first to be deported if Trump's proposed policies are to be applied equally. The petition also refers to Barron as an "anchor baby", underlining Melania's immigration journey and her late mother Amalija Knavs' citizenship.

Melania Trump was born in Slovenia in 1970 and moved to New York in 1996 to pursue modelling. She received US citizenship in 2006, making her the first First Lady to be naturalised and the second born outside the country, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Prior to obtaining her Green Card in 2001, there were numerous discussions regarding her immigration status. The Financial Express highlighted that Melania entered the US under the EB-1 program, known informally as the "Einstein visa", which is typically available only for individuals with extraordinary abilities. This detail has sparked considerable public debate.

The New York Times has reported that Melania sponsored her parents for green cards through family-based immigration, a process Trump has often criticised as "chain migration".

While Amalija Knavs passed away in 2024, her husband, Viktor, continues to appear publicly with the Trump family.

Critics have pointed out this inconsistency, highlighting Trump's vocal opposition to the very process that enabled his in-laws to secure legal residency.

Preventing the appearance of double standards is a central theme of the petition, as highlighted by WION News.

The petition asserts that if this is genuinely a matter of national security, Melania Trump should depart. It emphasises that the scrutiny applied to immigrants should equally extend to Trump's family, especially in light of his purported plans to modify the 14th Amendment to limit birthright citizenship, an executive order facing legal challenges, according to NDTV.

What began as a sharp criticism has evolved into a potent emblem of widespread opposition, particularly in light of the Trump administration's silence on the issue.

While the petition may have no actual impact, it has undeniably catalysed a broader conversation about citizenship and the criteria defining who belongs in the US.