Is Melania Trump a US citizen? When and how did she get her citizenship, if she is a citizen?

1. Melania’s citizenship status: naturalized American from Slovenia

Melania Trump was born in Slovenia (then part of Yugoslavia) and later became a naturalized citizen of the United States; multiple profiles and reporting note that she “obtained citizenship in 2006” and is a dual national of Slovenia and the U.S. ^[1]. The Associated Press, in describing her role at a 2023 naturalization ceremony, explicitly called her “the only first lady who is a naturalized American citizen” and traced her U.S. path to arriving on a worker visa while modeling in New York ^[3].

2. When and how she got U.S. citizenship: naturalization after immigration

Reporting ties Melania’s U.S. citizenship to the standard naturalization process after immigrating as a model; AP recounts she arrived on a worker visa and later naturalized ^[3]. The Independent’s background reporting states she obtained citizenship in 2006, which aligns with widely cited biographical accounts ^[1]. Available sources do not provide her exact naturalization paperwork details beyond the year and that it followed her immigration and modeling career ^{[1] [3]}.

3. Dual nationality: she keeps her Slovenian passport

Contemporary reports say Melania maintains Slovenian citizenship alongside her U.S. citizenship; several outlets characterize her and her son Barron as dual citizens holding both Slovenian and American passports ^{[4] [1]}. News coverage frames this as established biographical fact and as the reason they were singled out by later political proposals ^{[4] [1]}.

4. Why her status became politically salient in 2025

A 2025 bill, the “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025,” introduced by Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, proposed ending dual citizenship by requiring Americans to renounce foreign citizenship or risk losing U.S. status; reporters noted that such a measure would directly affect Melania and Barron because of their dual nationality ^{[2] [1]}. Coverage highlights legal and constitutional concerns raised by critics and by Melania’s former immigration lawyer, who said the proposal would conflict with longstanding Supreme Court precedent against involuntary loss of citizenship ^{[5] [2]}.

5. Legal context and competing viewpoints

Supporters of the Moreno bill framed it as asserting “exclusive allegiance” to the United States; critics — including Melania’s former immigration attorney Michael Wildes — argue it conflicts with decades of legal precedent protecting against involuntary loss of nationality and would create practical and constitutional problems ^{[2] [5]}. Newsweek reported Wildes’ view that the bill overlooks the reality of families with mixed status and millions born with more than one citizenship ^[5]. Available sources do not include the full text of the bill or a court ruling on it; the coverage stresses that the proposal faces likely constitutional challenges ^{[2] [5]}.

6. Public appearances and how she frames citizenship

When Melania publicly engaged with naturalization rites, coverage emphasized her status as a naturalized citizen and her speeches urging new citizens to “guard our freedom,” underscoring her identification with the U.S. naturalization experience ^[3]. Those appearances have been noted by journalists as unusual public moments for a former first lady who otherwise keeps a low profile ^[3].

7. Limits of available reporting and unanswered specifics

Sources consistently state the year of naturalization and that she arrived on a worker visa, but do not detail the exact immigration visas she used, the date of oath, or the specific paperwork filed ^{[1] [3]}. For precise legal documents, court filings, or State Department records, available sources do not mention those documents; they rely on biographical accounts and interviews ^{[1] [3]}.

8. Bottom line for readers

Melania Trump is a U.S. citizen by naturalization, having obtained citizenship in 2006, and she is widely reported to retain Slovenian citizenship as well ^{[1] [3]}. Recent legislative debate over ending dual citizenship in 2025 brought public attention to that dual status and produced sharp disagreement between sponsors of the bill and immigration-law critics about constitutionality and practical impact ^{[2] [5]}.