As then-U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up his administration’s efforts to crack down on immigration and deport undocumented individuals, an online counter-movement emerged that aimed to challenge what critics viewed as discriminatory and hypocritical policies. One notable example was a satirical yet pointed petition hosted on MoveOn.org, titled “Deport Melania, Melania’s parents and Baron in the first round of deportations!” This petition quickly gained attention online and attracted nearly 3,000 signatures.
The petition was written as a form of political protest, using irony to highlight what many perceived as the unfairness and extremism in Trump’s immigration agenda. The petition directly called for the deportation of First Lady Melania Trump, her parents, and her young son Barron Trump, asserting that if the president wished to implement stringent deportation rules—even affecting naturalized citizens—then the same standards should be applied to his own family.
The petition read:
“Since Trump wants to deport naturalized citizens, I believe it is only fair that Melania and her parents are on the first boat out,”
It further elaborated with a sharp critique of so-called “anchor baby” rhetoric, adding:
“Melania’s anchor baby, Barron, should be forced to leave as well because we know that his mother’s mother was born in a different country. That is part of the criteria that Trump is putting into place.”
The reference to “anchor baby” was especially provocative, as the term is a derogatory label often used to accuse immigrants of having children in the U.S. to secure legal residency. The petition sarcastically adopted this language to underscore the perceived double standards in Trump’s policies.
It concluded with the message:
“Your mother’s mother has to have been born in the United States and we know Melania’s mother was born elsewhere. If it’s good for one, it’s good for all! There should be no exceptions! On the first boat or flight out!”
The petition was less a genuine call for deportation and more a symbolic protest—a way for opponents of Trump’s immigration policies to draw attention to what they viewed as the hypocrisy of targeting immigrant families while the First Lady herself was an immigrant from Slovenia who had become a U.S. citizen in 2006. Her parents were also naturalized citizens.
By invoking Melania Trump and her family, the petition’s creators used a powerful form of satire to spark debate, generate media coverage, and expose contradictions in the administration’s stance on immigration and naturalization. It reflected broader tensions during Trump’s presidency regarding identity, citizenship, and the values of fairness and equality under the law.