Melania Trump faces a "potential security threat" after her mother Amalija Knavs' immigration papers were released through a lawsuit about Prince Harry's visa, Knavs' lawyer told Newsweek.
The conservative think-tank the Heritage Foundation is suing the Department of Homeland Security to force the publication of immigration records for the Duke of Sussex.
As revealed by Newsweek on Wednesday, the Heritage Foundation published around 165 pages of Amalija Knavs' immigration papers which the Department of Homeland Security had released following a Freedom of Information Act request.
Michael Wildes, Knavs's immigration lawyer, told Newsweek: "Mrs Trump is exploring all options, we spoke yesterday.
"The U.S. government has once again not paid adequate attention to the security and safety of a former First Family.
"We find it mean-spirited and insensitive to drag a totally innocent party into whatever issue they have with Prince Harry.
"To say nothing of the potential security threat to the former First Lady and her surviving family members. I was there when she was tested and sworn. It was a solemn and meaningful moment."
The paperwork included photocopies of Knavs's Slovenian passport, her naturalization certificate and her permanent resident card.
There are details of holiday destinations and a number of past addresses, including both in America and from her time living in Slovenia.
Wildes told the Daily Mail: "Mrs. Trump is rightfully upset" and added: "This egregious and abhorrent violation of Ms. Knavs's immigration file—including highly sensitive medical information and addresses that impact her family's security—is an outlandish affront, not just to Ms. Knavs, and her family including former First Lady Melania Trump, but also to the very notions of confidentiality and privacy.
"That the DHS released Ms. Knavs's immigration file after only 11 days further screams the impropriety of this request. How could the DOJ and Secret Service allow this breach?"
A letter from the DHS to the Heritage Foundation which was also disclosed in the court filing read: "We have considered the foreseeable harm standard when reviewing the record set and have applied the FOIA exemptions as required by the statute and the Attorney General's guidance.
"We have completed the review of all documents and have identified 165 pages that are responsive to your request. Enclosed are 100 pages released in their entirety and 37 pages released in part. We are withholding 28 pages in full.
"In our review of these pages, we have determined they contain no reasonably segregable portion(s) of nonexempt information."
The documents became public as part of the conservative think-tank's attempt to overturn a judge's ruling at federal court in D.C. that DHS was within its rights to reject a FOIA request for Prince Harry's immigration records.
The Heritage Foundation has argued that Harry should have disclosed to immigration officials his past drug use, as detailed in his book Spare, which describes him taking magic mushrooms, cocaine, cannabis and ayahuasca.
Lawyers for the organization have said that if Harry did reveal his drug use, he should have been refused a visa and that the public has a right to know whether he got favorable treatment.
It is not clear why DHS considered Knavs's papers eligible for release but not Prince Harry's, though they may have taken into consideration that Melania Trump's mother passed away in January.
Jack Royston is Newsweek's chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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