How did Melania Trump become a U.S. citizen and what controversies surrounded her immigration history?
Executive summary
Melania Trump became a U.S. citizen in July 2006 after immigrating on an EB‑1 visa and completing the standard naturalization process; her former immigration lawyer Michael Wildes has publicly described that process as taking “years” and said she and her son remain dual U.S.–Slovenian citizens [1] [2]. A recent 2025 bill — the “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025” proposed by Sen. Bernie Moreno — would ban dual citizenship and could, if enacted, force Melania and Barron to choose between U.S. and Slovenian nationalities, a scenario that has drawn criticism from Wildes and constitutional scholars who cite longstanding Supreme Court precedent protecting involuntary loss of nationality [2] [3].
1. How she legally became American — the official timeline
Melania Trump entered U.S. immigration channels on an EB‑1 visa, a category reserved for people with “extraordinary ability,” and then naturalized as a U.S. citizen in July 2006 after completing the green card and citizenship steps; her immigration lawyer Michael Wildes has repeatedly described that she “passed all of the American citizenship questions” and that the family “went through the process” like other immigrants [1] [4].
2. Why EB‑1 matters — immigration category and scrutiny
EB‑1 is a fast‑track employment‑based immigrant category for individuals with exceptional achievements. Reporting cites Melania’s naturalization as having used EB‑1 status, which explains the administrative route but also makes the case politically salient because EB‑1 is sometimes criticized as a privileged channel for high‑profile immigrants [1].
3. Dual citizenship: practice vs. the new bill’s threat
Multiple outlets note Melania and Barron currently hold U.S. and Slovenian citizenships; they would be directly affected by Sen. Moreno’s Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, which would bar simultaneous possession of foreign nationality and give dual citizens a period to renounce the non‑U.S. citizenship or be deemed to have relinquished U.S. citizenship [2] [5].
4. Legal objections and constitutional context
Experts and reporting quoted by Newsweek and others say Moreno’s proposal clashes with decades of Supreme Court precedent that protects citizens from involuntary loss of nationality; Wildes and other immigration lawyers have publicly criticized the bill as impractical and likely unconstitutional [2] [3].
5. Political optics and the accidental targeting of the first family
News and commentary frame the bill as politically awkward for its sponsor: a MAGA senator’s push to “end dual citizenship” became controversial partly because it would ensnare the president’s own family, exposing tensions between rhetoric about exclusive national loyalty and real families with cross‑border ties [6] [1].
6. Defenders and critics — competing viewpoints in coverage
Sen. Moreno frames the bill as restoring “exclusive allegiance” to the United States and an assertion that “being an American is an honor and a privilege” [5]. By contrast, Wildes — who represented Melania — and constitutional scholars argue the bill overlooks mixed‑status families and the legal protections that prevent involuntary denationalization [2] [3].
7. Practical consequences reported for Barron and others
Journalists report the dual citizenship status has practical reasons: retaining Slovenian citizenship and a passport eases work, travel and potential business in Europe for Barron, a point emphasized in profiles and biographies cited in multiple outlets [7] [6].
8. Limits of available reporting and unanswered questions
Available sources do not mention any newly filed official renunciation by Melania or Barron in response to the 2025 bill; they also do not provide primary government documents proving ongoing dual status beyond journalistic biographies and attorney statements [1] [2]. The bill’s future in Congress and any legal tests remain speculative in current reporting [2].
9. Why this matters beyond one family
Coverage stresses the broader stakes: if passed, the bill would affect “millions” of Americans with multiple nationalities and would require unprecedented federal systems to track and enforce renunciations — a regulatory and constitutional shift that critics say courts would likely block [8] [2].
Summary judgment for readers: reporting is consistent that Melania naturalized in 2006 via an EB‑1 path and that she and Barron hold Slovenian citizenship; the core controversy now centers on Moreno’s proposal to outlaw dual citizenship and on legal objections that the measure would run up against Supreme Court precedent and practical enforcement problems [1] [2].