Melania Trump makes rare speech on arduous path to becoming US citizen | US News

Former First Lady Melania Trump made a rare appearance at a naturalization ceremony and shared her personal experience around how hard it is to become a US citizen.

A naturalized citizen herself, Melania told 25 new American citizens to ‘be proud of yourself, stand your ground and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead’.

Her remarks at the National Archives in Washington, DC, came as her husband, ex-President Donald Trump, campaigns to return to the White House and is reportedly planning to expand on policies from his first term that cracked down on immigration.

Wearing a black pantsuit, Melania said that ‘reaching the milestone marked the sunrise of certainty’. She became a US citizen in 2006.

‘Finally I could plan all of the aspects of my life. I recall feeling a tremendous sense of pride and belonging after I recited the United States oath of alliance, as the pathway to citizenship is arduous,’ she said on Friday morning.

‘I was born and raised in the picturesque country of Slovenia where my parents taught me the importance of strong work ethic and pursuing my dreams.’

Melania, who moved to New York City in 1996 and worked as a model, said her ‘life turned into organizing paperwork’ as she navigated the journey to becoming a citizen.

‘My personal experience of traversing the challenges of immigration process opened my eyes to the harsh realities people face, including you, who try to become US citizens,’ she said.

‘Patience and perseverance became my constant companions.’

Melania expressed hope that the new American citizens would feel as she did when she completed her naturalization after a decade.

‘At that exact moment, I forever discarded the layer of burden connected with whether I would be able to live in the United States,’ she said. ‘I hope you’re blanketed with similar feelings of comfort right now.’

The former first lady also told the new American citizens from 25 different countries that the status ‘comes with responsibility’.

‘It means actively participating in the democratic process and guarding our freedom. It also means leading by example and contributing to our society. It is a life altering experience that takes time, determination and sometimes even tremendous strength,’ Melania said.

‘You are now a part of a nation with a rich history of progress, innovation and resilience.’

Melania sat in the front row and watched as the new citizens took the oath with a federal judge as she waited to give the keynote speech.

US Archivist Colleen Shogan, who invited Melania to speak, said she ‘knows what a naturalization ceremony is first hand’.

‘Melania Trump is our only first lady in American history who is also a naturalized citizen,’ said Shogan.

The former first lady shook hands and posed for pictures with the new American citizens after the ceremony.

Melania spoke at the naturalization ceremony two-and-a-half years after the National Archives realized that ex-President Trump took some records with him from the White House to Mar-a-Lago and asked that he turn them over. That led to FBI agents seizing boxes of documents from Trump’s home and and indictment in which he pleaded not guilty to 37 federal charges.

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