First lady Melania Trump's parents have become permanent US residents, their lawyer said Wednesday, apparently taking advantage of a family unification program pilloried by the president. "I can confirm that Mrs. Trump's parents are both lawfully admitted to the United States as permanent residents," lawyer Michael Wildes said in a statement. Viktor and Amalija Knavs, like their daughter, are from Slovenia. They appear to have taken advantage of a system that Donald Trump has dubbed "chain migration" and has promised to end.

The program allows naturalized citizens, in this case likely the first lady, to sponsor visas for close family members. The news, first confirmed by the Washington Post, prompted allegations of White House hypocrisy Wednesday.

"Almost every US family is connected to immigration programs Trump wants to kill, including his own," said Democratic congressman Luis Gutierrez.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2018