Melania Trump delivers a speech on the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Melania Trump was paid for 10 modeling jobs in the United States worth $20,056 that occurred in the seven weeks before she had legal permission to work in the country, according to detailed accounting ledgers, contracts and related documents from 20 years ago provided to The Associated Press.

The details of Mrs. Trump's early paid modeling work in the U.S. emerged in the final days of a bitter presidential campaign in which her husband, Donald Trump, has taken a hard line on immigration laws and those who violate them. Trump has proposed broader use of the government's E-verify system allowing employers to check whether job applicants are authorized to work.

Mrs. Trump, who received a green card in March 2001 and became a U.S. citizen in 2006, has always maintained that she arrived in the country legally and never violated the terms of her immigration status.

The wife of the GOP presidential nominee has said through an attorney that she first came to the U.S. from Slovenia on Aug. 27, 1996, on a B1/B2 visitor visa and then obtained an H-1B work visa on Oct. 18, 1996.

The documents obtained by the AP show she was paid for 10 modeling assignments between Sept. 10 and Oct. 15, during a time when her visa allowed her generally to be in the U.S. and look for work but not perform paid work in the country.

It is highly unlikely the discovery will affect the citizenship status of Mrs. Trump. The government can seek to revoke the U.S. citizenship of immigrants after the fact in cases when it determines a person willfully misrepresented or concealed facts relevant to his naturalization. But it effectively does this in only the most egregious cases, such as instances involving terrorism or war crimes.

The disclosures about the payments come as Mrs. Trump takes on a more substantial role advocating for her husband's candidacy. She made her first speech in months Thursday, in which she spoke of her time working as a model in Europe and her decision to come to the U.S. </s> Melania Trump has no time for “false” reporting about her relationship with Donald Trump amid swirling rumors over his alleged affair with the former adult-film star, Stormy Daniels. Apparently, she is too busy getting on with the business of being the First Lady of the United States. In response to all the gossip about divorce and how the fallout has affected her marriage with President Trump, Melania dismisses it as fake news, this according to a new report from the Independent.

Melania Trump apparently is breaking her silence about the mounting reports of her torn relationship, but her words came by way of a spokesperson. Days ago, Daily Mail reported that the FLOTUS had been “spending nights at a posh hotel” in Washington, alone, while her husband traveled overseas to promote America’s business interests.

Suggestions of a Donald and Melania Trump divorce have cropped up in some reports. As Inquisitr previously reported, some perceive Melania’s recent behavior as a rebellion that could not only signal divorce with their relationship, but also it could upend Trump’s presidency.

DM claimed that a White House source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the news about Donald Trump’s reported tryst with the former porn star had taken its toll on Melania.

“It’s been upsetting and humiliating; her relationship with President Trump has become strained,” according to the unnamed source. Melania, who is notoriously private and short on words, has not addressed the rumors publically. Further, there is no indication that she has plans. Rather, Mrs. Trump’s spokesperson, Stephanie Grisham, made a statement in the wake of the latest rumors amid the lurid details about Stormy Daniels and the POTUS.

Regarding the backstory, as the Wall Street Journal’s Joe Palazzolo and Michael Rothfeld first reported recently (via Vox) on the bombshell news about Donald Trump, the president allegedly had a sexual relationship for nearly one year with Daniels in 2006. Moreover, in exchange for her silence, Trump’s attorney funneled money through a Delaware limited liability company and paid then-candidate Trump’s mistress, real name, Stephanie Clifford, $130,000 in “hush money,” according to a Jan. tweet by Palazzolo where he divulged the names of the attorney and company.

It’s unclear if Melania Trump was aware of her husband’s reported infidelity. The White House and Trump’s legal counsel maintain that the reports are fake news.

Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen tried to diffuse the stunning report by releasing a statement of denial from Daniels. Multiple news outlets were quick to impeach Daniels by providing details of statements she allegedly made in the past.

A Slate writer recalled how he met Stormy Daniels in 2006 after getting in touch with her through an unnamed source. Then, based on his reporting, Daniels acknowledged having an affair with Trump during his marriage to Melania Trump.

On the heels of the WSJ’s report, In Touch Weekly recalled covering a story about Stormy Daniels in 2011 where she allegedly claimed to have “spanked” Donald Trump using a Forbes Magazine. In the same interview, she boasted about being able to “describe his junk” in detail.

It’s unclear what to conclude about how the news has affected the first family. After the news about the president’s purported affair broke, Melania accompanied her husband to their luxury golf resort in Florida. But, according to insiders, things were anything but normal about their relationship.

Apparently, Melania Trump raised red flags about her relationship to the real estate magnate when she was a no-show at two dinners that the president hosted at the property. On her decision to remain behind during Trump’s overseas trip, Melania’s spokesperson said the cancellation was due to “too many scheduling and logistical issues,” as People reported. Still, one reader opined that divorce is a foregone conclusion with the Trumps.

Thursday, as part of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Melania appeared at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum There, she paid homage to the survivors and victims of the World War II-era genocide tragedy.

Melania used social media to document her visit to the facility during the somber occasion.

Kate Andersen Brower, a CNN contributor, told Wolf Blitzer that Melania’s noticeable absence from her husband’s side leaves others to write their own narrative. The expert on first ladies in America said there is little precedent to Melania’s cancellation of her scheduled trip to Davos. She added that Donald and Melania Trump’s relationship has been “unusual” from the beginning of the New York billionaire’s presidency, as Huffington Post reported.

“We haven’t had a relationship this fraught since, I think, the Clintons, even going back and looking at someone like Eleanor Roosevelt or Jackie Kennedy, where there were lots of rumors surrounding their relationship,” Brower said. </s> An activist investigating working conditions at a supplier for Ivanka Trump’s fashion brand in China has been detained, his NGO said Wednesday, putting a fresh spotlight on Chinese business activities linked to the US presidential family.

Two other men working on the investigation have been missing since Sunday, according to China Labor Watch, a New York-based non-government-organisation.

“In 17 years (since our organisation was founded), we have done countless such investigations and have never had any problems,” the group’s director, Li Qiang, told AFP.

“But this is the first time we’ve investigated Ivanka Trump (manufacturers), so it may very well be related to the brand.”

Ivanka Trump is US President Donald Trump’s daughter and a White House adviser, whose fashion brand sells clothing, footwear and accessories.

Her husband, Jared Kushner, has joined her as a top aide to the US president and his own family business has come under scrutiny over its financial dealings in China.

Trump lambasted Beijing over its trade practices during the US presidential campaign, but he has established a friendly rapport with President Xi Jinping since they met at the US leader’s Mar-a-Lago resort in April along with Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

“We appeal to President Trump, Ivanka Trump herself, and to her related brand company to advocate and press for the release of our activists,” Li said.

Hua Haifeng, 36, has been held by police and accused of illegally using “eavesdropping equipment,” said Li, who rejected the accusation.

The father-of-two was working undercover with the two other men, Li Zhao and Su Heng, in Jiangxi province.

Deng Guilian, Hua’s wife, told AFP her husband had planned to return to their home for a holiday earlier this week.

She said she was notified of his arrest, but not where he was being held, on Tuesday in a phone call from a Jiangxi public security bureau.

Amnesty International said Hua was detained by mainland police last week after he tried to travel to Hong Kong to publicise the findings of his investigation.

“The trio appear to be the latest to fall foul of the Chinese authorities’ aggressive campaign against human rights activists who have any ties to overseas organisations, using the pretence of ‘national security,'” said William Nee, China researcher at the human rights group.

Li said the activists were probing two factories owned by major footwear producer Huajian Group — one in the city of Dongguan in southern Guangdong province, the other in Jiangxi’s Ganzhou.

They discovered that employees were required to work overtime while being paid less than the minimum wage, according to Li, who alleged that the factory issued fake pay slips that showed wages greater than the workers’ actual compensation.

Aside from Ivanka Trump, the factory also manufactures products for Coach, Nine West, Karl Lagerfeld, and Kendall + Kylie, Li said.

Huajian Group, the Ivanka Trump brand and police in Ganzhou did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A spokesman for the company told AFP in October that it had made about 100,000 pairs of Ivanka Trump-branded shoes over the years.

Huajian president Zhang Huarong also told AFP at the time that the company was moving production to Africa, saying “some manufacturers can’t even survive in China anymore”.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing she was “not aware” of the arrest.

But in general, she said, “we also hope that NGOs can also observe China’s laws and not engage in any illegal activities.”

The arrest highlights again the business dealings of the Trump family in China.

Last month, the Kushner family’s real estate company sparked an uproar after his sister, Nicole Kushner Meyer, headlined events in Beijing and Shanghai to seek more than $150 million in investment in a US luxury apartment complex through a controversial US visa programme.

While Trump in January pledged to “buy American”, US Customs bills of lading examined by AFP revealed that more than 50 tonnes of Ivanka Trump-branded items were streaming towards American ports from China even as he spoke.

Trump has himself sought dozens of trademarks in China.

Xi has overseen a tightening of controls on civil society since assuming power in 2012, with arrests that have drawn international condemnation.

Li said on separate occasions this month and in April, Hua and one of the other activists, Li Zhao, had attempted to meet him in Hong Kong but were turned away because they were “suspected of criminal activity.”

Deng said her husband had been a labour activist for more than a decade.

“So many people don’t understand factory workers’ plight,” Deng said. “No matter our financial struggles, I never questioned the importance of my husband’s work.” </s> Donald Trump is notorious for making controversial statements that set the internet on fire. But the relatively mild kerfuffle about whether his wife actually received a college degree appears to be something the Trumps would rather not see broadcast across the web.

Melania Trump’s personal and professional site, the Huffington Post reported on Wednesday, has disappeared. A search of Google’s cache reveals that sometime after 22 July, MelaniaTrump.com was redirected to Trump.com, the official site for the Trump Organization.

Speculation immediately centered on a claim made on Ms Trump’s online biography that she obtained “a degree in design and architecture at University in Slovenia” shortly before embarking on her modeling career.

An an unauthorized biography of Ms Trump, published in February, claims the prospective first lady left the university after a year without obtaining her degree. Critics have accused the Trump campaign of deleting the site in order to hide her biography.



An image posted to Melania’s Twitter account earlier today states: “The website in question was created in 2012 and it has been removed because it does not accurately reflect my current business and professional interests.”

The tweet was an unusual one for Mrs Trump, who rarely posts to that account and usually only with photos. The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

Copies of Melania Trump’s biography page containing the controversial claim were still visible on the Internet Archive at the time of writing. However, there are also inexplicable gaps in the archive’s record. After 14 March 2013, for example, the MelaniaTrump.com home page is no longer visible.

Mark Graham, director of the Archive’s Wayback Machine, said “there are various technical factors … that can affect the quality of both the capture and replay of web pages.” He added no one from the Trump campaign contacted the archive to request the pages be removed.

According to the domain registration records, MelaniaTrump.com was registered in April 2004 and existed for more than a year as a parody/squatter account consisting of two sentences: “MelaniaTrump.com For Sale @ the bargain price of 1 Million Dollars! Cmon Donald Trump of apprentice, you can afford it!”

Sometime between December 2005 and March 2006, it passed into the control of the Trump organization and served as Mrs Trump’s personal site.

This is not the first time Trumps have attempted to stuff things down the memory hole. The Politwoops site, which archives tweets deleted by US politicians, has an entire page devoted to things The Donald tried to unsay, many of them entirely innocuous.

@realDonaldTrump: “Clinton made a false ad about me where I was imitating a reporter GROVELING after he changed his story. I would NEVER Moch disabled. Shame!”

Nor is Trump is the only politician to allegedly attempt to scrub things from the web that might be considered damaging to one’s reputation.

In 2013, the UK’s Conservative party was accused of purging the party’s website of content published between 2000 and 2010, allegedly to remove evidence of unfulfilled campaign promises. It also ensured Internet Archive had not indexed the pages. One of the deleted pages detailed a speech that David Cameron, then prime minster, made at Google in which he said that “political leaders will have to learn to let go of the information that we have guarded so jealously”.

Multiple US politicians, including current vice-president Joe Biden and Republican vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence, have been caught editing their own Wikipedia entries to suppress unflattering information. Pence allegedly edited his page to remove a reference to a former job as a conservative talk radio host, and adding awards, senior job roles and glowing summaries of his political career. Members of British parliament have been similarly snagged.

If the Trumps were attempting to hide this information, they went about it the wrong way, says Aaron Minc, an internet defamation attorney who specializes in removing things from the net. If Trump really wanted to remove this information, he would have deleted the site before having it redirect to Trump.com, says Minc, and then notified Google to remove it from its search engine cache.

“There are ways to permanently delete things from the net, but you have to act quickly and do the right things, especially if you’re under public scrutiny,” he says. To keep pages out of the Internet Archive, website owners can add a file to their site’s main directory called Robots.txt containing the word “disallow”, says Graham. This will prevent the archive’s bots from crawling the site’s pages.

Rich Matta, CEO of ReputationDefender, says there isn’t much a public figure such as Trump can do besides change the behavior that creates the negative publicity in the first place.

“We have worked with some individuals that have similarly massive public profiles as Donald Trump and that have a penchant for making controversial statements,” says Matta. “But when you reach the level of intense scrutiny of a major party nominee for the presidency, the only realistic way to control your online reputation is through your own statements and actions.”

He adds that one of the worst things you can do is try to remove things after the fact, which can make the negative information spread further and faster – a phenomenon commonly known as the “Streisand effect”.

The best thing Trump could do is create more positive content that will keep the negative stuff from showing up higher in search results, says attorney Bennet Kelley, founder of the Internet Law Center. “Stop being so belligerent and intolerant, and promote stuff that people like rather than attacking others,” he said. </s> First lady Melania Trump made an unusual visit Thursday to a Texas facility housing migrant children who have been separated from their parents, as the Trump administration backtracks on its harsh enforcement policy for families crossing the border illegally.

The visit, which was not announced ahead of time, is another sign that members of President Donald Trump's own family have been uncomfortable with the policy of removing children from their families. Trump reversed the policy on Wednesday, but the next steps for children like those Melania Trump saw Thursday are not yet clear.

"I'm here to learn about your facility," Melania Trump said as she received a briefing about the work of Upbring New Hope Children's Shelter. She told facility directors that she wants to "ask you how I can help these children be reunited with their families as quickly as possible."

President Trump announced the visit at the start of a Cabinet meeting at the White House, saying that Melania Trump had gone to the border "because it really bothered her to be looking at this and seeing it, as it bothered me."

Trump accused congressional Democrats of deliberately blocking potential solutions, falsely saying that Democrats are responsible for "loopholes" that "lead to family separation." The separation policy is one option under federal law, but Trump's administration made the enforcement decision and then changed that enforcement.

"They're the worst immigration laws in the history of the world," Trump said. "The rest of the world is laughing."

Trump also criticized Mexico, which he said "does nothing" to prevent illegal immigration.

"Mexico is doing nothing except taking our money and sending us drugs and doing nothing," Trump said. "They could solve this problem in two minutes."

Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and adviser, tweeted Thursday that "it is time to focus on swiftly and safely reuniting the families that have been separated."

Melania Trump's communications director, Stephanie Grisham, told reporters traveling with her that the first lady had asked Tuesday that the trip be organized, one day before the president issued an executive order changing his policy.

"I don't know what she knew. She knew what she wanted to do, and she told us," Grisham said.

"She wanted to see everything for herself. . . . She supports family reunification. She thinks that it's important that children stay with their families."

"This was 100 percent her idea. She absolutely wanted to come" and did not change her mind after the executive order was issued, Grisham added.

"She wants to see what's happening for herself, and she wants to lend her support - executive order or not. The executive order certainly is helping pave the way a little bit, but there's still a lot to be done."

President Trump supported the trip but did not send his wife on his behalf, Grisham said.

"This was her decision. She told her staff she wanted to go and we made that happen. He is supportive of it but she told him, 'I'm headed down to Texas,' and he supported it."

The facility in McAllen, Texas, is operated by Lutheran Social Services. Directors told the first lady that children there are ages 12 and older and that most had arrived at the border without their parents. That means they are not the toddlers and young children whose anguish at being recently separated from their families has fueled broad criticism of the administration.

"She's seen the images. She's heard the recordings," Grisham said. "She was on top of the situation before any of that came out. She was concerned about it."

The spokeswoman said she does not know whether the first lady's own background as an immigrant affected her thinking. Melania Trump immigrated to the U.S. from her native Slovenia.

"When she came into this country, she did it legally, and she feels that everybody should enter the country legally," Grisham said. </s> Melania Trump is the First Lady of the US and wife of Donald Trump. The pair married in 2005, and Melania stood by her husbands side throughout is presidential campaign and leadership. Now the couple have left the White House together after Donald announced a national emergency over funds for his planned Mexico boarder wall. Melania and Donald were seen hand in hand heating for a private jet on the White House lawn yesterday.

Donald looked upbeat as he happily waved at photographers. Melania also wore a big smile as she heading for the aeroplane. The couple were heading to Florida for the weekend, to their huge private members club in Palm Beach. Mar-a-Lago is known as the Winter House, although Donald has owned the sprawling estate for many years. Donald Trump called a national emergency on Friday after he failed to get backing for his boarder wall.

The wall, to sit on the boarder between the USA and Mexico, was a huge element of Trump’s campaign. Donald Trump promised the and also claimed that Mexico would pay for it. However, things have not gone too smoothly from the businessman-turned-politcian when it comes to implementing his wall. Beside a photo of the President in the White House, the White House Press Secretary, Sarah Sanders, wrote on Twitter: “President @realDonaldTrump signs the Declaration for a National Emergency to address the national security and humanitarian crisis at the Southern Border.” According to estimates, this emergency declaration could see him access $8 billion (around £6.2 billion) to pay for part of the wall. </s> With the shocking news that Donald Trump has become the 45th President-elect of the United States, let's delve into just who he'll be bringing with him into the White House.

Along with his third wife Melania Trump, here are the other members of the Trump family who will be given access to the most famous building in the States.

The third child of Donald and Ivana, Eric is the founder of the Eric Trump Foundation, which fundraises for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He also manages the Trump family’s 18 golf clubs and is married to Lara Yunaska.

Journalist Lara first met Eric Trump in New York - and had no idea he was the heir to a property empire. They married seven years later in November 2014 at the Trumps’ Mar-A-lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

Newly elected President of the United States of America, AKA leader of the free world. After a long and bruising election, he'll now have access to the nuclear codes, be in charge of America's military, and have the power to turn his policies into law. Infamously said he could "grab [women] by the p***y" and that, as a famous man, "you can do anything [to them]".

The youngest of Donald's five children, Barron is described by his mum Melania as her "little Donald" (minds out of the gutter, please). He sparked headlines the day after Election Day for stifling yawns while his father gave his victory speech - and Twitter went wild. Best known for wearing teeny versions of his dad's suits, complete with little ties.
• Donald Trump's 10-year-old son Barron 'looks how we feel' as he tries to stay awake during victory speech

Former model who raised eyebrows with her many naked photoshoots. She was born in Slovenia to a Communist father and speaks five languages - Slovenian, French, English, Serbian and German. Met Donald in 1998 and married him in 2005, becoming his third wife after Ivana Trump and Marla Maples.
• Donald Trump's wife Melania naked shoot for GQ Magazine as girl-on-girl photos are exposed

Model, businesswoman and actress who starred in Something's Gotta Give. She married Donald Jr. in 2005 and has five children with him.

With her cousin Barron just one year older than her, Kai is one of the youngest of the Trump Tribe. She - along with parents Don Jr. and Vanessa - has been supporting her granddad on the election trail.

One of eight grandchildren, the third Donald to carry the President’s name knows how to rock a tiny suit.

Businessman who works alongside his siblings as Executive Vice President at the Trump Organization. Don made a series of appearances in his dad's reality show, The Apprentice, and married model Vanessa in 2005. He's father to their five children; Kai, Chloe, Donald III, Tristan and Spencer.

Businesswoman whose net worth is thought to be around $150million. Ivanka is the founder of her own jewellery and fashion line and works in the Trump family business. She's also mother to Arabella, Joseph and Theodore, and married to their father Jared.
• Ivanka Trump pitches Donald's softer side as she talks equal pay and child care in RNC speech

Husband of Ivanka and father to their three children. Jared is a property developer and owner of the New York Observer, a newspaper that came out stronger for his father-in-law.

A college graduate who's dating Democrat Ross Mechanic. Tiffany is the youngest of Trump's daughters (her mother is his second wife, Marla) and has dabbled in fashion (with an internship at Vogue), music (she released a song called Like A Bird at the age of 17. It wasn't great) and social media influencing - her Instagram has over 310,000 followers.

Donald Trump's campaign manager won't rule out hiring a special prosecutor to probe Hillary Clinton

Nigel Farage hails Donald Trump victory and chillingly warns world to 'prepare for further political shocks' </s> Melania Trump made an unannounced visit to a Texas facility Thursday to get a first-hand look at some of the migrant children sent there by the U.S. government after their families entered the country illegally.

The first lady's stop at Upbring New Hope Children's Center in McAllen came the morning after President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting the practice of separating these families. She may also visit a second facility later in the day where children housed in cages were seen by The Associated Press last week. Trump had come under pressure to stop the practice, including from GOP allies and the first lady herself, following a public outcry sparked by widespread images of children held in fence-like structures.

The trip was intended to lend support to those children who remain separated from their parents, said Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's spokeswoman.

"She wanted to see everything for herself," Grisham said.

U.S. first lady Melania Trump arrives for a discussion with doctors and social workers at the Upbring New Hope Childrens Center June 21, 2018 in McAllen, Texas.

The president had insisted incorrectly that his administration had no choice but to separate families apprehended at the border because children cannot go to jail with adults who are being criminally prosecuted for crossing the border illegally. Trump had said only Congress could fix the problem and he specifically pointed a finger at Democrats.

He reversed course Wednesday by signing the order ending separations and keeping families together when they are in custody, at least for the next few weeks. The administration's "zero-tolerance" policy of criminally prosecuting illegal border-crossers, which has led to the removal of some 2,300 children from their parents since May, remains.

Accompanied by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Mrs. Trump met with the executive director of the facility and other staff in a makeshift conference room where she was told the staff treated the 58 children housed there as if they were their own.

The first lady asked that the children be reunited with their families "as quickly as possible."

The trip came together within the past 48 hours, Grisham said.

"She told her staff she wanted to go and we made that happen," she said.

Trump, speaking at a Cabinet meeting, said that his wife was "down at the border,'" and Grisham said that the first lady had the full backing of her husband.

"She told him 'I am headed down to Texas' and he was supportive."

Mrs. Trump, whose focus as first lady is on child well-being, appears to have been among those pushing her husband to act.

Grisham released a statement last weekend saying the first lady "hates" to see children separated from their families and "believes we need to be a country that follows all laws, but also a country that governs with heart."

Hours before Trump used his executive order to halt family separations, a White House official let it be known that Mrs. Trump had been voicing her opinion to the president for some time, including that he needed to help families stay together. The official refused to be identified discussing Trump's private conversations with his wife.

Trump acknowledged Wednesday that the mother of his 12-year-old son, Barron, had been prodding him.

"My wife feels very strongly about it," he told reporters after he signed the order.

The pair of statements from the first lady amounted to an unusual public intervention by Mrs. Trump into a policy debate. Her four former living predecessors, seemingly encouraged after Laura Bush authored a scathing opinion piece, followed with sharper commentary of their own condemning the family separations as shameful.

The last-minute trip to Texas marks the first public action by Mrs. Trump since she announced in May an initiative named "Be Best" to focus on the overall well-being of children and help teach them kindness. She had been expected to travel to promote the campaign but was sidelined a week after the announcement following surgery to treat a benign kidney condition.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Melania Trump made an unannounced visit to a Texas facility Thursday to get a first-hand look at some of the migrant children sent there by the US government after their families entered the country illegally.

The first lady’s stop at Upbring New Hope Children’s Center in McAllen came the morning after President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting the practice of separating these families. She may also visit a second facility later in the day where children housed in cages were seen by The Associated Press last week. Trump had come under pressure to stop the practice, including from GOP allies and the first lady herself, following a public outcry sparked by widespread images of children held in fence-like structures.

The trip was intended to lend support to those children who remain separated from their parents, said Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s spokeswoman. “She wanted to see everything for herself,” Grisham said.

Read: Melania Trump ‘hates’ to see families separated at border

The president had insisted incorrectly that his administration had no choice but to separate families apprehended at the border because children cannot go to jail with adults who are being criminally prosecuted for crossing the border illegally. Trump had said only Congress could fix the problem and he specifically pointed a finger at Democrats.

He reversed course Wednesday by signing the order ending separations and keeping families together when they are in custody, at least for the next few weeks. The administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy of criminally prosecuting illegal border-crossers, which has led to the removal of some 2,300 children from their parents since May, remains.

Accompanied by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Mrs Trump met with the executive director of the facility and other staff in a makeshift conference room where she was told the staff treated the 58 children housed there as if they were their own. The first lady asked that the children be reunited with their families “as quickly as possible.”

The trip came together within the past 48 hours, Grisham said. “She told her staff she wanted to go and we made that happen,” she said.

Trump, speaking at a Cabinet meeting, said that his wife was “down at the border,” and Grisham said that the first lady had the full backing of her husband. “She told him ‘I am headed down to Texas’ and he was supportive.”

Also read: All five first ladies speak out on family separations at border

Mrs Trump, whose focus as the first lady is on child well-being, appears to have been among those pushing her husband to act.

Grisham released a statement last weekend saying the first lady “hates” to see children separated from their families and “believes we need to be a country that follows all laws, but also a country that governs with heart.”

Hours before Trump used his executive order to halt family separations, a White House official let it be known that Mrs Trump had been voicing her opinion to the president for some time, including that he needed to help families stay together. The official refused to be identified discussing Trump’s private conversations with his wife.

Trump acknowledged Wednesday that the mother of his 12-year-old son, Barron, had been prodding him. “My wife feels very strongly about it,” he told reporters after he signed the order.

The pair of statements from the first lady amounted to an unusual public intervention by Mrs Trump into a policy debate. Her four former living predecessors, seemingly encouraged after Laura Bush authored a scathing opinion piece, followed with sharper commentary of their own condemning the family separations as shameful.

The last-minute trip to Texas marks the first public action by Mrs Trump since she announced in May an initiative named “Be Best” to focus on the overall well-being of children and help teach them kindness. She had been expected to travel to promote the campaign but was sidelined a week after the announcement following surgery to treat a benign kidney condition.

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A study of former fashion model and current wife of presidential candidate Donald Trump Melania Trump's work history shows that she was an illegal worker in the United States before she received legal authorization.