The White House declined to comment on the Knavses' newly acquired citizenship status, saying they were "not part of the administration and deserve privacy." After living between Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago for several years, Viktor and Amalija Knavs reportedly moved to the Washington suburbs following Trump's inauguration,and are frequently spotted traveling with the first lady and the Trumps' son, Barron Trump. A source with direct knowledge of Melania Trump's parents and their immigration status told CNN that Melania Trump sponsored her parents for their green cards, a status that allowed them to live and work in the US indefinitely and paved the way for citizenship. Trump has frequently railed against the family visa system, or so-called chain migration, which permits U.S. citizens to sponsor their family members for visas.
– The US gained two new citizens of note on Thursday: Viktor and Amalija Knavs, parents of first lady Melania Trump. The couple are natives of Slovenia, where they raised Melania, but have been in the US for more than a decade, says their immigration lawyer, per CNBC. Their path to citizenship "was no different than anybody else's," adds Michael Wildes. The couple reportedly live in the DC suburbs and are frequently seen out with their daughter and grandson, Barron. The couple's exact path to citizenship isn't clear, but one likely possibility is that their daughter's citizenship helped them get green cards first, reports CNBC. As CNN notes, critics have pointed out that President Trump wants to end that type of family-based migration.