Podcaster Joy Reid thinks President Donald Trump’s immigration policies could lead to his wife, Melania, being deported under a hostile future president.
During a Thursday interview with Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Reid discussed news reports noting that the Trump administration had begun aggressively pursuing the denaturalization of immigrants who either committed crimes or fraudulently obtained citizenship. In a June 11 memo, the administration instructed federal attorneys to “prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by the evidence.”
During the conversation, Reid asked Jayapal, “do some of your colleagues on the other side of the aisle understand how far this could go? If you give the President of the United States monarch-like powers to say, ‘I don’t like your views, I don’t like your take on issues. You’re too liberal. You’re not conservative enough. I’mg going to take away your naturalized citizenship,’ where does it end?”
Reid continued, suggesting that this policy could later affect members of his family. “What happens when we get a Democratic president who says, ‘I don’t like Melania Trump. She wasn’t born here—she was born in Slovenia. She’s a naturalized citizen. She’s out,’” she said.
Reid made the same speculation about Donald, Eric, and Ivanka Trump, who were born to the late Ivana Trump, an immigrant. She suggested that a future Democratic president could decide, “‘You know what? I don’t like the Trumps. I’m going to denaturalize their mother and question the citizenship of the children.’”
So this opens a huge door, Congresswoman. If this idea of denaturalization is accepted, any future president could decide they don’t like the Trumps, don’t want Melania here, and just strip her of her citizenship. And she’d be gone.
Joy Reid claims Trump's immigration policies could lead to Melania Trump being denaturalized and deported.
— Jeff Charles, The Nullifier🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) July 5, 2025
"If we ever get a democratic president they could say I don't like Melania Trump she wasn't born here she's born in Slovenia she is a naturalized citizen she's out of… pic.twitter.com/aJuMYcrEZZ
However, Reid’s take doesn’t quite align with reality. This particular memo referred to immigrants who either deceived the government to obtain citizenship or committed serious crimes after being naturalized.
The memo focuses on ten categories, which include national security threats, gangs, human traffickers, war crimes, and several others. There is no mention of political affiliation.
Moreover, the executive branch does not possess the authority to unilaterally strip someone of their citizenship. The White House can initiate denaturalization proceedings, but the ultimate decision is left up to the courts.
Of course, this isn’t to say that a future Democratic president wouldn’t push this policy to the point that it targets people for their politics. But it wouldn’t be easy in this particular case.
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