Fact Check: Melania Trump's parents came to U.S. through process Donald Trump tried to curb

Yahoo

24-07-2025

Claim:
First lady Melania Trump's parents came to the United States through a family-based sponsorship, also referred to derogatorily as 'chain migration.'
Rating:
Since U.S. President Donald Trump's first administration, many have speculated about first lady Melania Trump's parents' immigration statuses and how they came to the United States. A number of online posts claimed they arrived through a process that Trump himself has derided and tried to curb.
A July 2025 YouTube video claimed the following:
Donald Trump built a movement on immigration cruelty — cages, deportations, and raids. But behind the scenes, he used the same "chain migration" he demonized to import his entire in-law family while brown kids were ripped from their parents and locked in cages.
During his first administration, Trump did indeed try to curb the practice of so-called "chain migration," calling it a threat to national security. And based on Melania Trump's parents' immigration papers and confirmation from their lawyer, it is true that her parents entered the U.S. through the same process Trump tried to end.
As we have reported before, despite the strict guidelines under which relatives are eligible for the process, as well as annual caps on the number of immigrants allowed to enter the country in this manner, Trump has frequently criticized such family reunification visas, calling them "chain migration." These visas allow U.S. citizens to sponsor their parents financially, bring them to the United States, and eventually apply for their family members' permanent residency.
We previously reported in February 2018 that the first lady's parents' immigration status was not a matter of public record, and thus the manner in which they came into the country was unknown. However, federal immigration records revealed in 2024 that her mother, Amalija Knavs, did come to the country through her daughter's sponsorship.
According to Newsweek, in 2024 the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation obtained Knavs' immigration records through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request while suing former U.S. President Joe Biden's administration to access visa records of Britain's Prince Harry. The Washington Post also requested the records from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after Knavs died in January 2024. We reached out to The Heritage Foundation to access the records and will update the story if we get more information.
The Washington Post confirmed that Knavs was sponsored by an adult child for a green card, and her financial sponsor was listed as "Melania Trump."
Michael Wildes, the immigration lawyer for both of the first lady's parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, had also confirmed their method of immigration to The New York Times in 2018. He said Melania Trump had sponsored her parents for their green cards. When asked if the Knavses obtained citizenship through "chain migration," Wildes said, "I suppose."
Even as Trump derogatorily called such a process "chain migration," Wildes said the term was a "dirtier" way of characterizing such sponsorship that was "a bedrock of our immigration process when it comes to family reunification."
Wildes also confirmed that the couple met the five-year requirement for residency before applying for citizenship.
During his first administration (2017-2021), Trump endorsed the RAISE Act that would have limited priority sponsorship to spouses and minor children and required U.S. citizens to obtain renewable and temporary visas for their parents instead of fast-tracking residencies.
Snopes has previously investigated claims that Melania Trump came to the U.S. "improperly" on an EB-1 "Einstein" visa and self-sponsored herself for a green card as a result. She became a permanent resident in 2001. Melania did indeed receive such a visa and was required to demonstrate "extraordinary abilities" as a model. Successful models have often qualified for such a visa.
Snopes archives contributed to this report.
Correal, Annie, and Emily Cochrane. "Melania Trump's Parents Become U.S. Citizens, Using 'Chain Migration' Trump Hates." The New York Times, 9 Aug. 2018. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/09/nyregion/melania-trumps-parents-become-us-citizens.html. Accessed 22 July 2025.
Garcia, Arturo. "FACT CHECK: Did Melania Trump's Parents Arrive in the U.S. Through 'Chain Migration'?" Snopes, 8 Feb. 2018, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/melania-trump-parents-chain-migration-meme/. Accessed 22 July 2025.
"Melania Trump's Mom's Papers Released in Prince Harry Case." Newsweek, 23 Oct. 2024, https://www.newsweek.com/melania-trump-mom-amalija-knavs-papers-released-prince-harry-visa-1973400. Accessed 22 July 2025.
Rascouët-Paz, Anna. "Inspecting Claim Melania Trump Improperly Came to US on EB-1 'Einstein' Visa." Snopes, 2 Jul. 2025, https://www.snopes.com//news/2025/07/02/melania-trump-einstein-visa/. Accessed 22 July 2025.
Sacchetti, Maria. "Records Confirm Trump's Mother-in-Law Came to U.S. through Process He Derided." The Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2024/03/25/trump-melania-parents-chain-migration/. Accessed 22 July 2025.