Taking Liberty’s with new immig policy

The acting director of Citizenship and Immigration Services on Tuesday added his own take to the “huddled masses” poem at the Statue of Liberty to include accepting migrants who can “stand on their own two feet.”

Ken Cuccinelli was responding to a question about whether the Trump administration’s updated requirements for getting a green card were in the spirit of Emma Lazarus’ poem, “The New Colossus.”

“Give me your tired and your poor who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge,” Cuccinelli said on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

Cuccinelli on Monday announced the rule change that redefines a “public charge” as an immigrant who is likely to end up receiving some kind of public assistance, including Medicaid, housing vouchers and food stamps.

Asked about Cuccinelli’s comments, President Trump said it conforms with his “America First” policy.

“I don’t think it’s fair to have the American taxpayer paying for people to come into the United States,” the president said.

“So what we’ve done is institute what took place many, many years ago — at our founding, virtually. But we are just reinstituting it. And I think it’s long overdue,” he said, referring to the “public charge” term that Congress initially approved in 1882 to ensure immigrants are selfsufficient.

NPR’s Rachel Martin asked Cuccinelli if the new rule, which takes effect Oct. 15, jibes with the democratic ideal of the American dream. Cuccinelli said it does not alter what makes America “exceptional.”

On CNN later, Cuccinelli claimed Lazarus’ poem referred specifically to migrants “from Europe.” Actually, it speaks of “world-wide welcome.”