Controversy erupted over the weekend as Representative Maxine Waters voiced some provocative thoughts on First Lady Melania Trump's immigration status.
During a protest in Los Angeles, Waters suggested investigating the immigration background of Melania Trump, alongside the President's aim to end birthright citizenship, Fox News reported.
The comments were made at a demonstration on Saturday, March 22, 2025, focusing on President Donald Trump’s policies and his administration. Specifically targeting the executive order signed by Trump on his first day in office, which seeks to exclude birthright citizenship, Waters ignited a heated discussion. Protesters had gathered in response to the President and the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to downsize federal governance by identifying financial excesses.
These remarks quickly spread across social media platforms such as TikTok and X, fueling widespread debates among audiences. As the demonstration marched towards the VA hospital on Los Angeles' Wilshire Boulevard, Waters' speech caught the attention of national media.
The ongoing legal challenge of the executive order in question involves its constitutionality, with President Trump having moved the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court recently.
Melania Trump, who emigrated from the former Yugoslavia and became a U.S. citizen in 2006, holds the distinction of being the first U.S. First Lady who naturalize. She also sponsored her parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, for green cards, subsequently paving their way to U.S. citizenship, which they achieved in 2018. Tragically, Melanie’s mother passed away in 2024.
During her fiery speech, Waters highlighted the contradictions within President Trump’s immigration policies. “When he talks about birthright, and he's going to undo the fact that the Constitution allows those who are born here, even if the parents are undocumented, they have a right to stay in America. If he wants to start looking so closely to find those who were born here and their parents were undocumented, maybe he ought to first look at Melania," she stated.
Officials have not confirmed the immigration status of Melania's parents at the time of her relocation to the U.S. Waters posited, “We don't know whether or not her parents were documented. And maybe we'd better just take a look."
Amidst the backdrop of the protest, Melania's father, Viktor Knavs, accompanied other family members at public events, reflecting continuing involvement with the Trump family since the presidential inauguration on January 20, 2025.
The protest also emphasized opposition to Trump’s administration, which Walters described as a threat to constitutional values:. “We are here because we are not going to let Trump, we’re not going to let Elon Musk, his co-president, or anybody else take the United States Constitution down," she expressed.
This series of events represents a notable escalation in the discourse surrounding immigration and governance under the Trump administration, mirrored by Maxine Waters' bold statements.
The unfolding narrative around these comments and the legal battles linked to the President's executive order will likely continue to draw significant public and judicial scrutiny. Waters' critique of the First Lady not only underscores deep political divisions but also raises important questions about the application and fairness of immigration laws in America.
