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Melania Trump Says She Has Always Been a Legal Immigrant

2016 Republican National Convention
Bill Clark—CQ-Roll Call,Inc./Getty Images Melania Trump, wife of Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump, speaks during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio on July 18, 2016.

She responded to a new report raising questions about her immigration timeline

Melania Trump on Thursday confirmed that she immigrated to the United States legally in 1996, in a statement posted on Twitter.

“In recent days there has been a lot of inaccurate reporting and misinformation concerning my immigration status back in 1996. Let me set the record straight: I have at all times been in full compliance with the immigration laws of this country. Period. Any allegation to the contrary is simply untrue,” she said in the statement. “In July 2006, I proudly became a U.S. citizen. Over the past 20 years, I have been fortunate to live, work and raise a family in this great nation and I share my husband’s love for our country.”

A Politico story raised questions on Thursday about the timing of Trump’s arrival in the U.S. and whether her visa would have authorized her to work as a model.

Her husband, Republican nominee Donald Trump, has campaigned heavily against illegal immigration throughout the presidential race.

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