As U.S. President Donald Trump pushed for stricter immigration policies and increased deportations during his term, a viral petition emerged online demanding that his own family not be exempt from the same scrutiny. The petition, hosted on MoveOn.org, called for the deportation of Melania Trump, her parents, and their son, Barron Trump.
The petition, which collected nearly 3,000 signatures, argued that if Trump was serious about targeting naturalized citizens and immigration loopholes, the same rules should apply to his wife and her family. "If it's good for one, it's good for all," the petition stated, criticizing what it perceived as hypocrisy in Trump's policies.
Melania Trump, originally born as Melanija Knavs in Slovenia, moved to the United States in the 1990s to pursue a modeling career. She was granted a green card in 2001 and became a U.S. citizen in 2006, shortly before marrying Donald Trump. She is the second First Lady in U.S. history to be born outside the country and the only one to have become a naturalized citizen.
Critics have previously questioned the transparency around Melania's early visa status. Reports during Trump's presidency highlighted concerns that she may have worked in the U.S. before obtaining legal authorization. These questions resurfaced alongside the petition, amplifying debates around immigration policy and double standards.
Adding fuel to the controversy, Congresswoman Maxine Waters had earlier raised concerns during a rally in Los Angeles, questioning the documentation status of Melania's parents. "We don't know whether or not her parents were documented," Waters said, suggesting that Trump's own family history be examined under the same lens used to scrutinize others.
The petition emphasized that if national security and legal immigration were true concerns, then no one—including the president's family—should be above the law. "There should be no exceptions," the petition said. "This should not be about favoritism."
This backlash emerged as a form of protest against Trump's immigration rhetoric, which critics say disproportionately targeted immigrants from specific countries while overlooking similar cases within his own circles.
Melania's immigration journey gained further attention due to her use of the EB-1 visa, often called the "Einstein visa," meant for individuals with extraordinary abilities. Critics questioned whether her modeling credentials qualified her for the category, especially during a period when the Trump administration was tightening eligibility standards.
While the petition may not carry legal weight, it has reignited public discourse around fairness in immigration enforcement. It also highlights the symbolic divide between Trump's policy stance and his personal life, underlining ongoing tensions in America's immigration debate.
