Melania Trump’s Visa History Sparks New Debate Amid Deportation Crackdown

As Donald Trump doubles down on his hardline immigration agenda, critics are turning their attention to someone much closer to home—his wife, Melania Trump.

Trump Pushes Deportation Agenda

This week, the former president escalated his immigration crackdown. He threatened to deport NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, and even his former friend Elon Musk, a South African native. He also unveiled plans for a controversial Florida detention center nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz.”

In a major legal win, the U.S. Supreme Court backed Trump’s push to limit birthright citizenship by curbing lower courts’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions. These efforts form part of a broader GOP pledge to stop all illegal immigration and expel millions of undocumented people.

Melania Visits ICE Facility — Critics React

While supporting her husband’s efforts, 55-year-old Melania Trump visited an ICE intake and detention center in Tucson, Arizona, this week. She publicly praised the agency’s work.

However, her visit sparked immediate backlash. Online critics began revisiting her own immigration past—specifically, how she arrived in the U.S. from Slovenia.

Melania’s Unauthorized Work Revealed

According to past investigations, Melania arrived in August 1996 on a B‑1/B‑2 tourist visa, which prohibits paid work. However, records show she earned $20,056 from modeling jobs during the next seven weeks—before receiving a proper H‑1B work visa in October.

The Associated Press previously confirmed that she worked for clients like Camel cigarettes while still on the tourist visa, a clear violation of immigration law.

Citizenship Came Later

Melania later adjusted her status, obtained a green card, and became a U.S. citizen in 2006. But for about seven weeks in 1996, she worked in violation of her visa terms.

Social Media Questions the Double Standard

The revelations revived claims of hypocrisy. One post read:

“Melania Trump broke immigration law in 1996 by coming on a tourist visa and working illegally as a model. Today, she’s thanking ICE for detaining immigrants in Tucson.”

Others questioned why she wasn’t deported:

• “Why hasn’t she been deported?”

• “She worked while on a visitor visa, which is illegal. Why do others get sent back while she stays?”

• “Donald Trump pulled strings so she could remain.”

Could Trump’s Policies Backfire?

The controversy prompted some left-leaning voices to point out the irony of Trump’s deportation threats. One Reddit user wrote:

“Melania should be deported.”

Another added:

“So should Musk. They both became citizens through false claims.”

A third asked sarcastically:

“How do we turn them into ICE?”