Melania Trump’s parents are permanent US residents: lawyer

WASHINGTON — A lawyer representing first lady Melania Trump’s parents says they’re living legally in the U.S.

The lawyer says Viktor and Amalija Knavs “are both lawfully admitted to the United States as permanent residents.”

Michael Wildes is declining further comment, including discussing when the couple would be eligible for citizenship or how their green cards were obtained. They’re from Slovenia.

President Donald Trump has pushed to limit immigrants’ ability to sponsor relatives to join them in the U.S., and called such family reunification “chain migration.” He’s endorsed legislation that would prevent immigrants from sponsoring their parents and only allow them to sponsor spouses and minor children.

A spokeswoman for the first lady says the Knavs “are not part of this administration and deserve their privacy.”

The Washington Post first reported on the Knavs.