Does The Statue Of Liberty Poem Invalidate U.S. Borders Or Require Giving Welfare To Non-Citizens?

Acting Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli announced a change in the “public charge” rule Monday that will deny green cards for immigrants on Medicaid, food stamps, housing vouchers, and other public welfare. It of course elicited liberally charged questions from reporters.

The “public charge” rule, enacted in 1882, requires green card applicants to prove they will not be a burden to the United States. The new changes, detailed in an 800-page document going into effect mid-October, will determine “the totality of the circumstances when making a public charge inadmissibility determination.”

“Through the public charge rule, President Trump’s administration is re-enforcing the ideal of self-sufficiency and personal responsibility, ensuring that immigrants are able to support themselves and become successful in America,” Cuccinelli said in the press conference.