A viral MoveOn petition demanding the deportation of First Lady Melania Trump, her father Viktor Knavs, and her son Barron Trump, has sparked national controversy amid President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown targeting naturalized citizens.
Petition Highlights:
- The petition argues that Melania, a naturalized citizen born in the former Yugoslavia, should not be exempt from deportation.
- It cites Trump’s efforts to reinterpret the 14th Amendment and end birthright citizenship as motivation.
- It also labels Barron an “anchor baby” due to Melania’s immigrant status and suggests her family be “on the first boat out.”
Political Echoes:
The petition gained momentum after Rep. Maxine Waters publicly questioned Melania’s immigration history during a protest in Los Angeles on March 25.
“Maybe he ought to first look at Melania,” Waters said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Waters criticized Trump’s executive order aiming to strip birthright citizenship from children of undocumented immigrants, suggesting it would be hypocritical not to scrutinize his own family’s naturalization pathway.
Background:
- Melania Trump became a U.S. citizen in 2006, the second First Lady in U.S. history to be born abroad.
- Her late mother Amalija Knavs and father Viktor Knavs were reportedly sponsored by Melania for citizenship.
- The backlash comes amid Trump’s broader efforts to reform immigration laws and deport those he deems ineligible for U.S. citizenship, sparking fears among millions of immigrant families.
The phrase “Melania Needs To Go” is trending on TikTok and X, with critics calling out perceived double standards in Trump’s policies. Meanwhile, conservative commentators have labeled the petition as extreme and vindictive.