Democrats side-eye Trump's new acting head of Citizenship and Immigration Services


It's official.
After much speculation over what leadership role he would serve in the Department of Homeland Security, The Hill reported on Monday that former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) will take over as the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that administers the country's legal immigration system. Cuccinelli is a hardliner on immigration, who in the past has advocated for ending birthright citizenship and militarizing the border, and served as the chief patron for a proposed Virginia bill that would have allowed employers to fire employees who didn't speak English in the workplace.
His fellow Virginian, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), has pointed to his extremist views as reason enough to reject his confirmation, should President Trump eventually choose Cuccinelli to lead the USCIS permanently.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Hispanic Caucus, an organization consisting of Democratic members of Congress advocating for issues related to Hispanics and Latinos in the U.S., has also already expressed concern over Cuccinelli's new role, fearing he will advance an anti-immigration agenda.
But it's not just the other side of the aisle that wants to prevent Cuccinelli from advancing into a permanent role. He's made quite a few enemies within the GOP, as well, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has reportedly vowed to block Cuccinelli from getting confirmed to any position.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashion
In the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Sudoku medium: September 13, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants