White House: New immigration policy meant to promote 'self-sufficiency and personal responsibility'

Acting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ken Cuccinelli on Monday defended a controversial Trump administration rule that would link an immigrant's ability to secure green cards to their use of certain public programs.

Cuccinelli told reporters at the White House that the "public charge" change promotes “the ideals of self-sufficiency and personal responsibility.”

"We certainly expect people of any income to be able to stand on their own two feet. If people are not able to be self-sufficient, then this negative factor is going to bear very heavily against them in a decision about whether they’ll be able to become a legal permanent resident," he said.

“A poor person can be prepared to be self-sufficient. Many have been through the history of this country. Let’s not look at that as the be all and end all, it’s not the deciding factor. Which is why we continue to use the totality of circumstances test.”