Donald Trump's In-Laws Become US Citizens By Same 'Unfair' Process He's Trying To End

'Some people come in and bring their whole family with them, who can be truly evil.'
LOADINGERROR LOADING

Donald Trump’s parents-in-law have become US citizens via the very process the President has previously called “horrible”, “unfair” and “outdated”.

Viktor and Amalija Knavs have been living in the US as permanent residents on green cards sponsored by their daughter, Melania Trump, and completed the naturalisation process by taking a citizenship oath on Thursday in New York City.

But the process of family-based or “chain” immigration has been one of the flash points of Trump’s presidency which he has vowed to abolish.

The President has repeatedly railed against the process, which he has argued needs to end as “some people come in and bring their whole family with them, who can be truly evil”.

CHAIN MIGRATION must end now! Some people come in, and they bring their whole family with them, who can be truly evil. NOT ACCEPTABLE! pic.twitter.com/PQGeTTdRtX

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2017

He has also described it as:

‘Horrible’

The Democrats have been told, and fully understand, that there can be no DACA without the desperately needed WALL at the Southern Border and an END to the horrible Chain Migration & ridiculous Lottery System of Immigration etc. We must protect our Country at all cost!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2017

‘Unsafe and Unfair’

Thank you to the great Republican Senators who showed up to our mtg on immigration reform. We must BUILD THE WALL, stop illegal immigration, end chain migration & cancel the visa lottery. The current system is unsafe & unfair to the great people of our country - time for change!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018

‘Outdated’

We need a 21st century MERIT-BASED immigration system. Chain migration and the visa lottery are outdated programs that hurt our economic and national security. https://t.co/rP9Gtr2E5N

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2018

Trump’s battle against chain migration forms part of his wider clampdown on immigration, which also includes building The Wall and an end to the diversity visa-lottery program, the process where 50,000 people from low migration countries can enter a draw to apply for a permanent US residence card.

These are all moves toward what Trump calls a “merit-based” system.

The Knavses raised Melania Trump in the rural industrial town of Sevnica while Slovenia was under Communist rule.

Viktor Knavs, 74, was a car dealer, while his wife, who is 73, worked in a textile factory. The first lady, born Melanija, changed her name to Melania Knauss when she started modelling.

She settled in New York in 1996 and met Trump two years later.

Close

What's Hot