Trump immigration head Ken Cuccinelli proposes this change to the Statue of Liberty poem


Acting Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ken Cuccinelli is a poetry revisionist, apparently.
In an interview on Tuesday morning with NPR's Morning Edition, Cuccinelli spoke with host Rachel Martin about a new Trump administration rule — "The Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds" policy — that could make it more difficult for immigrants to obtain a green card or U.S. citizenship if they are deemed likely to become reliant on government benefits.
Cuccineli made the case that it's not too much to ask for immigrants coming into the United States to not rely on the government for government assistance. He said that it's a longstanding tradition in the U.S. that people who can "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" are welcome, but that "no one has the right to be an American" if they aren't born in the country. He called it a privilege instead.
Subscribe to 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.
Martin asked if the words from Emma Lazarus' poem The New Colossus, which are engraved on a plaque on the Statue of Liberty, are also "part of the American ethos." Cuccinelli said they "certainly" are, but he tweaked them. "'Give me your tired and your poor who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge," he replied.
That section of the poem actually reads "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." There is no mention of government assistance on the plaque. Listen to the interview at NPR.
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.
-
Social Security: Insolvency date keeps getting closer
Feature A new report has projected that Social Security funds could be depleted by 2033
-
Are AI lovers replacing humans?
Talking Points A third of Gen Z singles use tech as a 'romantic companion'
-
What are the Trump Accounts for kids and how do they work?
The Explainer Parents will soon be able to open tax-advantaged investment accounts on their child's behalf
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Trump administration releases MLK files
Speed Read Newly released documents on the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not hold any new revelations, King historians said
-
Japan's prime minister feels pressure after election losses
Speed Read Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office
-
President diagnosed with 'chronic venous insufficiency'
Speed Read The vein disorder has given Trump swollen ankles and visible bruising on his hands
-
'Bawdy' Trump letter supercharges Epstein scandal
Speed Read The Wall Street Journal published details of Trump's alleged birthday letter to Epstein
-
Fed chair Powell in Trump's firing line
Speed Read The president considers removing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell
-
Trump trashes supporters over Epstein files
speed read The president lashed out on social media following criticism of his administration's Jeffrey Epstein investigation
-
Judge nixes wiping medical debt from credit checks
Speed Read Medical debt can now be included in credit reports