Washington, July 2.— In the midst of U.S. President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies, thousands of citizens have signed a petition demanding the deportation of his wife, Melania.
“Given that Trump wants to deport naturalised citizens, I think it’s only right that Melania and her parents be on the first boat,” reads the petition, posted on the MoveOn website, which had gathered more than 4,500 signatures at the time of writing.
Originally from Slovenia (formerly part of Yugoslavia), Melania obtained U.S. citizenship in 2006, according to her biography published on the White House website. The biography notes she is the only first lady to have been naturalised.
Her parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, gained U.S. citizenship in 2018, during Trump’s first term as president. Her mother died in January 2024.
The petition states that this action is important to prove it’s not about favouritism. “If it’s really about national security, Melania has to go,” they add.
“Your Son Too”
Along with the first lady and her parents, her 19-year-old son should also be included, as he is only in the U.S. to be with Melania.
He should also be deported, the petition argues, because his maternal grandmother was born in another country—fitting the criteria Trump is applying. The text emphasises that Melania’s parent is foreign-born and not from the United States.
The petitioners argue that if it’s acceptable for one, it’s acceptable for all—that there should be no exceptions. They reiterate that Melania and her family must be expelled on the first available deportation flight or ship.
Last March, Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters suggested during a protest in Los Angeles that Trump should investigate and potentially deport Melania.
“When he [Trump] talks about birthright, will he undo the fact that the Constitution allows those born here—even if their parents are undocumented—to stay in the U.S.?” she said. “If you want to start looking closely to find those born here to undocumented parents, maybe you should start with Melania,” she added, as quoted by Newsweek.