Melania Trump releases lawyer letter proving 'with 100 percent certainty' she never worked illegally in the U.S.

Melania Trump proves she never worked illegally in the U.S.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 14 September 2016

Melania Trump released a letter from an attorney Wednesday that "unequivocally [states]" she never worked illegally as a model in the United States. The New York Post had raised questions about Melania Trump's immigration status in early August, although both Melania and her husband, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, vehemently denied all allegations, including that she had worked illegally in the U.S. while on a visitor's visa.

The attorney detailed Melania Trump's immigration process, explaining that it was completely lawful:

Contrary to published reports, Mrs. Trump never worked in the United States in 1995 because she was never in the United States in 1995. Instead, the documentation reflects that Mrs. Trump's first entry to the United States was on August 27, 1996 […] Mrs. Trump was thereafter consistently issued H-1B visas, five in total, between October 1996 and 2001, at which point she became a lawful permanent resident, or 'green card' holder. [Attorney Michael J. Wildes, via Melania Trump]

Wildes clarified that while "different media outlets" have accused Melania Trump of violating immigration laws by partaking in a Max magazine shoot in New York in 1995, "again, such reports are not supported by the facts." Wildes said that because documentation shows Melania Trump was never in the U.S. in 1995, the allegation that she worked in New York that year "is not only untrue, it is impossible," and that the shoot actually took place after she'd been admitted to the country on an H-1B visa in 1996.

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"Finally, Mrs. Trump did not receive her green card through marriage. Rather, in 2000, Mrs. Trump self-sponsored herself for a green card as a model of 'extraordinary ability,' and on March 19, 2001, she was admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident," Wildes' letter concludes.

During an August rally in North Carolina, Trump slammed reports that his wife entered the country illegally, and said she would hold a press conference on her immigration status. Campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks also confirmed that Melania Trump would address the issue, although no such presser has occurred or even been announced.

It is unclear if Wednesday's letter is in lieu of a press conference. In preceding the letter, Melania Trump simply wrote: "I am pleased to enclose a letter from my immigration attorney which states that, with 100 percent certainty, I correctly went through the legal process when arriving in the USA."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.