Overview

• During a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Jasmine Crockett pressed Melania Trump on how she qualified for an EB-1 “Einstein visa” reserved for immigrants with sustained extraordinary ability.
• Crockett argued the first lady lacked the significant accolades—such as Nobel prizes, Pulitzer awards or Olympic medals—specified in the visa guidelines.
• She contrasted high-profile ICE raids and strict enforcement tactics with the White House’s handling of the first family’s immigration cases.
• USCIS criteria for EB-1 status include evidence of national or international acclaim, and Melania was one of just five Slovenians to receive the visa in 2001.
• Immigration lawyers have offered divergent views, with some defending the visa’s subjective standards and others questioning whether her modeling career met the required bar.