Meet the newest US citizens: Melania Trump’s parents

NEW YORK » First lady Melania Trump’s parents were sworn in as U.S. citizens Thursday.

Viktor and Amalija Knavs, both in their 70s, took the citizenship oath at a special, private ceremony in New York City. The Slovenian immigrants, a former car dealer and textile factory worker, had been living in the U.S. as permanent residents.

The Knavses slipped in and out of a side entrance at a Manhattan federal building flanked by Department of Homeland Security police. They said little other than Viktor telling a reporter “thank you” when she asked how they felt about becoming Americans. Lawyer Michael Wildes said the Knavses applied for citizenship on their own and didn’t get any special treatment.

He wouldn’t say who sponsored their green cards.

Melania Trump, who has been vacationing with her husband in Bedminster, New Jersey, did not accompany her parents.