Big questions about Melania Trump's immigration status linger

[bucolic_frolic]

Donald Trump's immigration position is, at its heart, fairly simple. People in the country illegally would be subject to deportation if he is elected president, as he said in his speech this week in Arizona. Even those who hadn't crossed the border illegally but who'd been admitted on a visa and then didn't leave are "a big problem" in Trump's estimation.

"Immigration law doesn't exist for the purpose of keeping criminals out," he said. "It exists to protect all aspects of American life. The work site, the welfare office, the education system, and everything else."

That speech came more than three weeks after Trump's campaign promised to answer questions about a more personal component of the immigration issue. In early August, Trump pledged that his wife Melania, a native of Slovenia, would hold a press conference explaining how she managed to navigate the onerous process of getting a green card after questions about the timeline of her entry into the country were raised by a number of outlets.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/presidential/Big-questions-about-Melania-Trumps-immigration-status-linger.html

[Thinkingabout]

1. I doubt this will never be explained. Trump will probably lose the election and this

Will drop out Of the news.

[metroins]

2. If they're married, does it matter now?

There's 46 bazillion things to call Trump out on, but his wife doesn't need to be one.

[cap]

4. This is more important than what you think

The article points out that getting married doesn't wipe out past fraudulent activity in misrepresenting a visa application. In short, Melania could be stripped of US citizenship.

This would have a big effect on the anti immigration supporters of Trump and show them to be the hypocrites that they are. It would also help shut down the white supremacist movement.

Funny thing is the extreme nationalists in Western Europe are against immigrants from Slovenia coming to their country.

I don't think Melania is as innocent as people think. I think she is a fraud like Trump. You can't say well, she just mis stated a few things and let her off the hook while millions of people are in jeopardy for entering the country illegally and are on the verge of being tossed out if Trump wins.

[MADem]

8. Of course it "matters now." This is a CENTERPIECE of his campaign.

Do as I say, not as I do is not acceptable to the American public.

He ran "Trump Models" which "some people are saying, I dunno, could be yuuuuuge" was as much a cover for prostitution as is was a duplicitous way of getting around visa regulations and allowing foreigners to work ILLEGALLY in USA--and we KNOW Melania worked illegally; the fruits of her illegal work were plastered all over the front pages of the NY POST quite recently.

There should be no PASSES on this just because he married one of the escorts, errr, models, errr whatevers that came into the country--ILLEGALLY--on tourist visas, and then, in fact, worked without proper papers.

If someone commits a crime, and then marries, it doesn't mean the crime goes away, after all...and more so when the person to whom the 'criminal' is married wants severe penalties for anyone else committing the very same crime.

[politicaljunkie41910]

9. Actually it does still matter. There have been posts here with links written by Immigration lawyers

In essence, they said that if you lied to get a Green Card by falsifying information on any of your previous applications, i.e. Visa application, you are excluded from being able to obtain a Green Card having lied on any previous applications. Based on the her acknowledging that when she came to America initially, she kept going back to Slovenia to get her passport stamped. The immigration lawyer said the only way that explanation made any sense is if she were in the U.S. on a Visitor's Visa, which would not have permitted her to work while in the US on a Visitor's Visa. Each time she entered this country, she would have had to state the purpose of her visit. If she was coming back and forth because she was working here, each time she made that declaration, she was lying and she can lose her Green Card even though the Green Card was issued much later, for lying on earlier visits through Immigration. Immigration considers lying to Immigration as a mark against one's character, and they don't take it lightly. The Green Card can be pulled for lying even many years later. Her citizenship can even be revoked because of it.

[MADem]

13. She's past the "Green Card" phase--she's a US citizen; and she lied, apparently,

to obtain that status.

[politicaljunkie41910]

16. I understand that. If you read my post, you would see that I said that the immigration lawyer's

post here on DU stated that her citizenship and the whole process could be rescinded if it was determined that she had lied on any documents anywhere along the line for lawful entry, right to work, Green Card, and subsequently US citizenship. The Green Card is the sequential process step prior to obtaining US Citizenship. A false statement anywhere along the line calls into question the persons character, and could result in rescission no matter how long ago and what your current status is including US citizenship. And the burden of proof on whether you made a false claim is not that hard for the government to prove. If they determine that you obtained employment in the US while in the US on a tourist Visa (and thus ineligible to work), you're guilty. Each time one passes through Customs they are interviewed and asked a series of questions for the purpose of determining your status coming into this country and Customs officers know the questions to ask, so there is no chance you misunderstood the questions. Making a false statement, can get your status revoked no matter how long ago the false statement was made. There is no presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Just the opposite. It appears rather simple to prove.

[bettyellen]

17. she could still lose her citizenship- they'd probably let her pay huge fines, but still....

[MADem]

19. You mean "yuuuuuuuuuuuge fines....?"

Couldn't resist....

[JustAnotherGen]

14. Yep - It does need to be called out

I'm married to someone who followed all the rules, and who didn't have a sugar daddy to cover for him. It matters. I suspect it matters to a lot of people like us.

I believe she broke the law. You don't get to break the law and then remain quiet while your husband attacks new Americans.

She needs to woman up and explain in detail what she did in America prior to becoming a citizen. Like - after 9/11 - did she have to submit to biometric screening/finger print capture like my husband did?

[LongtimeAZDem]

3. If she says she was here legally while doing softcore lesbian porn, that's good enough for me (nt)

[pinboy3niner]

12. :)

[OnDoutside]

21. Not for me. I'd need to see the Long Form of that video.....

[oasis]

5. Seldom seen. Has she been deported?

[FrenchieCat]

6. Perhaps she Self-deported?

[oasis]

7. After years of waking up in the morning next to Annoying Orange

she's finally had it. goodbye cruel world.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. Trump had that real wise ass high pitched tone of voice when he promised the press conference.

Ok smart ass, where is the god damn press conference now? It's been a month. Forgot about it? We didn't forget about it.

[Yallow]

11. She Has Disappeared Once We Started Asking To See Her Papers

Press conference?

Not hardly.

"Former Trump models allege financial exploitation while employed without work visas"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512398226

[pinboy3niner]

15. They brought her here when Americans like me were dying to get into modeling

I even came up with a unique look that was a killer!

[MADem]

20. OOoooooh, hit the catwalk!!!!

[riversedge]

18. Glad to see this in a PA paper