Melania Trump says her experience with immigration process "opened my eyes to the harsh realities people face"

Former first lady Melania Trump made a rare public appearance Friday at a naturalization ceremony in Washington, D.C., to congratulate 25 new American citizens at the National Archives — which happens to be at the center of one of the federal indictments against her husband, former President Donald Trump.

Melania Trump spoke candidly about the difficulties she faced in becoming a citizen after she emigrated to the United States from Slovenia for her fashion career in 1996, recalling the "labyrinth of organizing paperwork" she had to navigate. 

"My personal experience of traversing the challenges of the immigration process opened my eyes to the harsh realities people face, including you, who try to become U.S. citizens," the former first lady said. "And then, of course, there are nuances of understanding the United States immigration laws and the complex legal language." 

Ultimately, she said she had to hire a lawyer to walk her through the process. 

"Patience and perseverance became my constant companions as I navigated through this intricate web, which I'm sure you can all relate to," Trump said. 

Immigration has taken a central role in her husband's presidential campaign. If he's returned to office, the former president has promised to carry out the "largest deportation operation" in the nation's history, by deputizing the National Guard and state officials to arrest and deport migrants living in the U.S. illegally. He has also vowed to end birthright citizenship — the right of those born in the U.S. to be American citizens — through an executive order and reinstate policies like the "Remain in Mexico" policy that would prevent asylum-seekers from waiting in the U.S. for their court hearing. 

The location of the speech is also notable because of the role of the National Archives in the investigation into Donald Trump's handling of classified documents after his presidency.

In November 2021, the Archives asked the Justice Department to investigate the former president's handling of records he had taken after leaving the White House in 2020. Melania Trump did not mention the National Archives by name during her speech.

The former first lady appeared alongside her husband when he announced his third bid for the presidency in November 2022 but has not made any other campaign appearances since then. 

During a Fox News interview in May, Melania Trump said her husband has her support to run for president, saying, "We look forward to restoring hope for the future and leading America with love and strength."