# Melania's parents are now U.S. citizens **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 9, 2018, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361 "2018-08-09T19:34:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/21 "2018-08-09T23:12:02Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Isn’t the whole process 5 years, minimum, from start to finish? I would assume they started quite awhile ago. Before Trump was even a candidate for president. Depends what you mean by “whole process” The whole process of turning from an immigrant to a permanent resident to a citizen is generally five years minimum, but the Melania’s parents were already permanent residents (i.e., green card holders). If you’re already a permanent resident, the procedure to become a citizen is (or, at least, can be) much faster. It goes pretty much as **Machine Elf** outlines in post #7 above: you fill out some forms (and pay some money); have a naturalization interview and test; get approved for naturalization; then have the ceremony. As part of the application, you also have to do the biometrics (fingerprints etc.) again, even though you did them for your green card. As with the permanent resident application, how long your citizenship application actually takes seems to depend on individual circumstances. When I applied for my permanent residency, I heard dire warnings about how it would take at least a year, but the whole process, from sending the forms to having the green card in my hand, took about three months. Of course, my application for residency was based on marriage to a US citizen, and we had already been married for 5 years when I put in my application. That, combined with the fact that I’m a white guy from a friendly country, with a post-graduate education and a good command of English, means that I probably have one of the smoothest and least suspicious (from an ICE point of view) paths to residency of any applicant. I’ll bet that there were other people who applied at the same time as me, and who waited longer than I did for their green cards. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/22 "2018-08-10T02:57:01Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I thought it usually took like a year to get citizenship all straightened out, even if an applicant had their stuff in order. They probably applied several months ago, the hour in May at USCIS was the interview and English/civics exam, they passed, and they were just sworn in. That would be the normal timeline. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/23 "2018-08-10T09:54:23Z")
Can you picture the shitstorm that would have ensued should ANY, no matter how distant, Kenyan OBama relative have been (quite possibly as legally and routinely, as this event seems) granted citizenship during his Presidency? It’s hard not to laugh at the enormity of the hypocrisy sometimes, don’t you find? (How long till Trump pardons his son-in-law’s father, I wonder?) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/24 "2018-08-10T10:22:05Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > I’m still wondering how Melania got in under the Exeptional (or Einstein) Clause, considering her “modeling career” consisted of a little advertising and catalogue work, plus nudie-cutie shots for GQ. Wealth, probably. She’s seriously wealthy in her own right. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/25 "2018-08-10T10:25:12Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Can you picture the shitstorm that would have ensued should ANY, no matter how distant, Kenyan OBama relative have been (quite possibly as legally and routinely, as this event seems) granted citizenship during his Presidency? It’s hard not to laugh at the enormity of the hypocrisy sometimes, don’t you find? I find it hard not to cry about it. I have no issues with the Knavseses obtaining citizenship. What I have issues with is 1) the fact that, as you note, right-wingers would have absolutely lost their shit had one of Obama’s extended family obtained US citizenship during his tenure and 2) that the Trump administration is working to shut down the very path his in-laws took, claiming that “truly evil” people will use it to come to America. But then it has long been clear that Trump and his supporters are shameless, lying (or deluded) hypocrites, so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/26 "2018-08-10T13:28:15Z")
I don’t have anything against her parents so I say let them in. But if they were black relatives of Obama, the right wing would be sounding the horns of the apocalypse. None of this is about principle, all of this is about pigmentation. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/27 "2018-08-10T13:31:53Z")
I say “Welcome in, the more the merrier.” Aside from that, it wouldn’t surprise me if those guys hated Trump, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/28 "2018-08-10T14:13:01Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Can you picture the shitstorm that would have ensued should ANY, no matter how distant, Kenyan OBama relative have been (quite possibly as legally and routinely, as this event seems) granted citizenship during his Presidency? It’s hard not to laugh at the enormity of the hypocrisy sometimes, don’t you find? > [@Gyrate](#): > > I find it hard not to cry about it. > > I have no issues with the Knavseses obtaining citizenship. What I have issues with is 1) the fact that, as you note, right-wingers would have absolutely lost their shit had one of Obama’s extended family obtained US citizenship during his tenure and 2) that the Trump administration is working to shut down the very path his in-laws took, claiming that “truly evil” people will use it to come to America. > > But then it has long been clear that Trump and his supporters are shameless, lying (or deluded) hypocrites, so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. You _imagine_ they would have a very different reaction in a _hypothetical_ situation that you made up, so that makes them enormous, shameless, lying (or deluded) hypocrites? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/29 "2018-08-10T14:29:31Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > You _imagine_ they would have a very different reaction in a _hypothetical_ situation that you made up, so that makes them enormous, shameless, lying (or deluded) hypocrites? > > :dubious: No, we know damn well how they would react. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/30 "2018-08-10T14:30:06Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Wealth, probably. She’s seriously wealthy in her own right. She wasn’t when she applied. Let’s not kid ourselves: she’s wealthy because she partnered in adultery and snagged an old rich guy. Since Knauss wasn’t outstanding in any way, there is little doubt that Trump lied about her qualifications or paid someone off, but that will never be fully known. It’s not a story because of special treatment, but rather Trump being opposed to ‘chain migration.’ It’s only the thousandth instance his hypocrisy, so not really news. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/31 "2018-08-10T16:08:48Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > No, we know damn well how they would react. Well, ok. That settles that then. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/32 "2018-08-10T19:54:40Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > But there’s no indication I’ve seen that anyone in the Trump administration\* even cares about this matter, much less is thinking of an “upshot”. You don’t think anyone in the Trump administration cares about immigration? That’s hard to accept; immigration has been one of this administration’s biggest concern. Giving citizenship to two people who part of Trump’s family while treating millions of other immigrants so harshly send the message that there are two sets of laws in this administration; one set for the well-connected and a different set for everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/33 "2018-08-10T19:59:10Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Optics? “See? We are not against immigration. We are against illegal immigration.” That would be a credible theory is there was any evidence that the Trump administration was attempting to develop new avenues of legal immigration. But they aren’t. In point of fact, they have pushed for new restrictions on legal immigration to go alongside their push to oppose illegal immigration. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/34 "2018-08-10T20:39:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You don’t think anyone in the Trump administration cares about immigration? That’s hard to accept; immigration has been one of this administration’s biggest concern. I apologize if my post was unclear. “this matter” was meant to indicate the naturalization of the Knavses, not immigration in general. And it was in response to the OP’s question of what the upshot of their naturalization was for the Trump Administration. There’s simply no evidence I’ve seen that anyone in the Trump administration even cares about _the Knavses naturalization_, much less that anyone in the Trump administration made some sort of calculated decision on their naturalization while looking for some sort of upshot. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Giving citizenship to two people who part of Trump’s family while treating millions of other immigrants so harshly send the message that there are two sets of laws in this administration; one set for the well-connected and a different set for everyone else. Ok, so what’s the evidence that the Trump administration as such “gave” citizenship to the Knavses? From all external appearances, they went through normal channels and attained their citizenship as a routine matter of law. To be sure, they appear to have done so through “chain migration”, which their son-in-law has repeatedly, loudly, and publicly blasted. Moreover, the specific changes he wants would have precluded the Knavses from getting citizenship (he wants to exclude parents of U.S. citizens from benefiting from chain migration). _But the Knavses aren’t Donald Trump._ If it emerges that the Knavses have in the past criticized chain migration in general, or allowing parents to apply based on their adult childrens’ U.S. citizenship in particular, then they are hypocrites. If it emerges that Trump administration officials intervened in routine USCIS operations on the Knavses behalf, then the administration is hypocritical (and nepostistic and possibly in violation of federal regulations or even laws). If it emerges that Donald Trump himself encouraged the Knavses to apply for citizenship under the “chain migration” program, then he is a huge hypocrite. As it stands, though, all of the available evidence points to…nothing of any note. Two private individuals applied for and were granted U.S. citizenship. That literally happens a thousand times a day. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/35 "2018-08-10T20:48:01Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Depends what you mean by “whole process” Sorry. I meant: Starting from scratch. You’re in the country but don’t have a green card or anything. Don’t you have to be a permanent resident for 5 years? ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/36 "2018-08-10T20:59:51Z")
Perhaps they were hoping that ICE would take away their daughter and son-in-law and put them in cages. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/37 "2018-08-10T21:55:15Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > Ok, so what’s the evidence that the Trump administration as such “gave” citizenship to the Knavses? From all external appearances, they went through normal channels and attained their citizenship as a routine matter of law. > > To be sure, they appear to have done so through “chain migration”, which their son-in-law has repeatedly, loudly, and publicly blasted. Moreover, the specific changes he wants would have precluded the Knavses from getting citizenship (he wants to exclude parents of U.S. citizens from benefiting from chain migration). > > _But the Knavses aren’t Donald Trump._ If it emerges that the Knavses have in the past criticized chain migration in general, or allowing parents to apply based on their adult childrens’ U.S. citizenship in particular, then they are hypocrites. If it emerges that Trump administration officials intervened in routine USCIS operations on the Knavses behalf, then the administration is hypocritical (and nepostistic and possibly in violation of federal regulations or even laws). If it emerges that Donald Trump himself encouraged the Knavses to apply for citizenship under the “chain migration” program, then he is a huge hypocrite. > > As it stands, though, all of the available evidence points to…nothing of any note. Two private individuals applied for and were granted U.S. citizenship. That literally happens a thousand times a day. I think you’re being naive if you either believe or expect other people to believe that the President can conduct a long-standing tirade against immigration and nobody, in his family or on his staff, ever mentioned that his wife’s parents were in the midst of the immigration process. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/38 "2018-08-10T22:14:39Z")
Maybe she’s free to dump him now. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/39 "2018-08-10T22:15:16Z")
Have ICE manhandle the fuckers onto a plane and deport their asses. Just like everyone else. Zero tolerance. Put Barron in a cage. Deport Melania. Chaining or something. Terror. Crime. Things. And stuff. JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHERS. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361/40 "2018-08-10T22:17:13Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Have ICE manhandle the fuckers onto a plane and deport their asses. Just like everyone else. Zero tolerance. Put Barron in a cage. Deport Melania. Chaining or something. Terror. Crime. Things. And stuff. > > JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHERS. I confess it’s crossed my mind that their applications for citizenship might have been quietly fasttracked so that embarassment could be avoided if/when Trump enacts some kind of pogrom on our less-fully-legal citizenry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melanias-parents-are-now-u-s-citizens/819361.md?page=3)