<p class="title">The Slovenian-born parents of Melania Trump became US citizens at a naturalisation ceremony in New York on Thursday, reportedly taking advantage of a family reunification programme President Donald Trump has vehemently denounced.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump's in-laws Viktor and Amalija Knavs took the oath of citizenship, their immigration lawyer Michael Wildes confirmed to AFP.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Asked by the <span class="italic"><em>New York Times</em></span> if they had obtained citizenship under a programme derisively branded "chain migration" by the president, Wildes replied: "I suppose."</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said chain migration, which allows naturalised US citizens to sponsor close relatives for permanent residency, was a "dirtier" way of characterising what he called "a bedrock of our immigration process when it comes to family reunification."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump has taken a hardline on immigration policy, criticising so-called chain migration.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Republican president has said such a system steals jobs from Americans and threatens national security, calling for a merit-based system that gives preference to more educated, English-speaking professionals. </p>.<p class="bodytext">It is not clear when the Knavs couple obtained their green cards, though their status as permanent residents was first revealed by Wildes in February.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Melania Trump, the 48-year-old first lady, was their sponsor, Wildes said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Under US law they must have been permanent residents for five years before applying to become citizens, and the time to process an application can take several months thereafter.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Viktor Knavs, a car salesman in Slovenia, and Amalija, who worked in a textile factory, are over 70 years old, retired and pass much of the year in the United States, where they regularly spend time with their daughter and grandson Barron.</p>
<p class="title">The Slovenian-born parents of Melania Trump became US citizens at a naturalisation ceremony in New York on Thursday, reportedly taking advantage of a family reunification programme President Donald Trump has vehemently denounced.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump's in-laws Viktor and Amalija Knavs took the oath of citizenship, their immigration lawyer Michael Wildes confirmed to AFP.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Asked by the <span class="italic"><em>New York Times</em></span> if they had obtained citizenship under a programme derisively branded "chain migration" by the president, Wildes replied: "I suppose."</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said chain migration, which allows naturalised US citizens to sponsor close relatives for permanent residency, was a "dirtier" way of characterising what he called "a bedrock of our immigration process when it comes to family reunification."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump has taken a hardline on immigration policy, criticising so-called chain migration.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Republican president has said such a system steals jobs from Americans and threatens national security, calling for a merit-based system that gives preference to more educated, English-speaking professionals. </p>.<p class="bodytext">It is not clear when the Knavs couple obtained their green cards, though their status as permanent residents was first revealed by Wildes in February.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Melania Trump, the 48-year-old first lady, was their sponsor, Wildes said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Under US law they must have been permanent residents for five years before applying to become citizens, and the time to process an application can take several months thereafter.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Viktor Knavs, a car salesman in Slovenia, and Amalija, who worked in a textile factory, are over 70 years old, retired and pass much of the year in the United States, where they regularly spend time with their daughter and grandson Barron.</p>