Stephen Miller disavows Statue of Liberty poem in defending administration's immigration policy

Stephen Miller.
(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/WH.gov)

After sparring with The New York Times' Glenn Thrush on Wednesday, President Trump's senior policy adviser Stephen Miller engaged in a second heated debate during the daily press briefing. Miller's second scuffle was with CNN's Jim Acosta and centered on the history of the Statue of Liberty.

Miller was at the briefing to discuss the Trump administration's newly announced merit-based immigration system, which Acosta accused of contradicting the American tradition of welcoming immigrants. "The Statue of Liberty says, 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free,'" Acosta said. "It doesn't say anything about speaking English or being able to be a computer programmer."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.