Who was Donald Trump’s sister Maryanne Trump Barry? The federal judge privately called her brother ‘cruel’ – and ruled the 1952 law he’s using to try to deport Mahmoud Khalil as ‘unconstitutional’

Apr 2 , 2025

Donald Trump and his sister Maryanne Trump Barry in Scotland, in 2008. Photo: AFP

Donald Trump’s older sister – who died in 2023 at the age of 86 – was appointed as a federal judge by Ronald Reagan, and was horrified at her brother’s immigration policies before her death

The 1952 law that the Trump administration is using to try to deport Mahmoud Khalil was ruled unconstitutional back in 1996 – by none other than Donald Trump’s late sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, The New York Times has reported.

Khalil, a lawful permanent resident and pro-Palestinian protester who graduated from Columbia University, was arrested by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month. Trump’s administration has claimed that the 1952 law would play a major role in its deportation plans.

Back in 1996, when Trump Barry was working as a federal trial judge, she was asked whether the 1952 law could be squared with the constitution, to which she replied in writing, “the answer is a ringing no”.

US President Donald Trump’s sister wouldn’t have approved of his attempts to use an “unconstitutional” law to deport student Mahmoud Khalil. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Trump, 78, has previously spoken very highly of his sister. “I will never forget the many times people would come up to me and say, ‘Your sister was the smartest person on the Court,’” he posted on Truth Social after her death in 2023 at the age of 86. “I was always honoured by that, but understood exactly what they meant – they were right! She was a great judge, and a great sister.”

Here’s what we know about her and her legacy.

How many siblings does Donald Trump have?

Maryanne Trump Barry, sister of Donald Trump, sits in the balcony during Trump’s election night in 2016 rally in New York. Photo: AP

President Donald Trump is one of five children born to Frederick Christ Trump Sr and Mary Anne MacLeod. They were all raised in Queens, New York City. Born in 1937, Maryanne Trump Barry was the eldest of the siblings. Frederick “Freddy” Trump Jr, the eldest son, died in 1981 from a heart attack when he was just 42 years old, while Robert, the youngest sibling, died in 2020 at 71. Elizabeth Trump Grau, 83, is Donald’s only living sibling.

Where did Maryanne Trump Barry go to university?

Maryanne Trump Barry studied law at Columbia and became a federal judge. Photo: Handout

Trump Barry had an impressive résumé, from her education to career. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1958, before going on to study at Columbia University and Hofstra University School of Law, per her profile on the Federal Judicial Center website.