Trump immigration official offers rewrite for Statue of Liberty poem
President Donald Trump's top immigration official on Tuesday offered a revised version of the poem long displayed inside the Statue of Liberty's pedestal that aligns more closely with the administration's latest rule aimed at curbing the number of people who enter the United States legally.
Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, was asked by NPR whether the words of Emma Lazarus' “The New Colossus,” inscribed on a bronze tablet exhibited in the museum at the statue's base, remain "part of the American ethos."
"They certainly are," Cuccinelli said. "Give me your tired and your poor — who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge."
Cuccinelli's comments come after the administration announced Monday a "public charge" regulation allowing federal officials to deny green cards to legal immigrants who have received certain public benefits or who are deemed likely to do so in the future.
Critics of the policy have argued it is at odds with Lazarus' work, which reads in part: “Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, / I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
The sonnet, associated with the torch-wielding lady who for decades greeted immigrants arriving in New York at Ellis Island, has long been interpreted as a message of welcome for those seeking refuge in the U.S.
Cuccinelli was pressed on its relevance Monday while addressing the "public charge" policy during a White House news briefing.
"Is that sentiment ― 'Give us your tired, your poor' ― still operative in the United States, or should those words come down?" CBS News Radio correspondent Steven Portnoy asked him.
"I'm certainly not prepared to take anything down off the Statue of Liberty," Cuccinelli replied.
Cuccinelli: Statue of Liberty poem refers to people from Europe
Ken Cuccinelli, the acting head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said on Tuesday that the poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty welcoming immigrants to the United States was referring to “people coming from Europe.”
“Well of course that poem referred back to people coming from Europe where they had class-based societies,” Cuccinelli said of the inscription on the statue during an appearance on CNN on Tuesday. “Where people were considered wretched if they weren't in the right class.”
“And it was introduced – it was written one year – one year after the first federal public charge rule was written that says – and I'll quote it, 'Any person unable to take care of himself without becoming a public charge,’ would be inadmissible or in the terms that my agency deals with, they can't do what's called adjusting status, getting a green card becoming legal permanent residence,” he continued.
The official’s remarks arrive on the heels of comments he made earlier on Tuesday tweaking the inscription on the statue to defend a new policy rolled out by the Trump administration that makes it easier to reject green cards for those deemed likely to depend on public assistance.
"Give me your tired and your poor who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge," he said Tuesday morning while responding to a question in an interview with NPR on whether Emma Lazarus's poem, "The New Colossus," was part of the American ethos.
The original poem reads: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Speaking further about the "public charge" rule on Tuesday, Cuccinelli said that if an immigrant doesn’t “have future prospects of being legal permanent residents without welfare, that will be counted against them.”
“That is the point of the rule. It doesn’t seem too much to ask that we have Americans here who aren’t likely to go on welfare and become public charge,” he continued.
Yep. Hey know exactly what kind of message they’re sending out.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
My in laws straight up told us on FaceTime that they are scared to come visit because of mass shootings.
They are legit more scared for their lives over here than they are with the migrants in their country.
Our economy And military are the only reasons we still have a 1st world label.
Cause our violence, domestic terrorism, and drug epidemics rivals that of third world countries.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
I mean damn bro, could you imagine placing our death rates in a different country?
They’d be talking about us using terms like genocide.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
In some respects maybe a lot of Trump supporters would be getting what they deserve. By and large, immigrants are doing the jobs most Trump supporters wouldn't even want. Yet they seem to scream, "They're coming after our jobs!"
It seems if they get their way, English speaking, better educated immigrants would come into the country that really would be, "coming after their jobs".
At least they would actually have something to whine about then. It would become a self fulfilling prophecy.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
you sort of saw it play out already with our ally England.
PDX has way more insight on that than i do, but just my basic knowledge and research, Polish (white people) have free education in poland. they came to england with degrees and ended up taking the high paying and/or high skill jobs away from some of the british.
just like here in america, there isn't any shortage of low skill jobs there, so the average immigrant isnt taking anything that actually matters, just like you stated, Pit.
we have a CRAP TON of low skill job openings all over this country, and its no secret that companies just cant find people to fill them.
combine that with our trash ass birth rates in conjuction with our aging population, and we need BODIES fast.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Rip the current plaque off and put it in a museum where people can still go see it and replace it with something more modern, more meaningful, and more practical.
Rip the current plaque off and put it in a museum where people can still go see it and replace it with something more modern, more meaningful, and more practical.
Why?
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
Rip the current plaque off and put it in a museum where people can still go see it and replace it with something more modern, more meaningful, and more practical.
I am sure there are good people on both sides of the issue.
Rip the current plaque off and put it in a museum where people can still go see it and replace it with something more modern, more meaningful, and more practical.
Why?
I assume it belongs in a museum, it's an important part of our history and people would still want to be able to see it.
Rip the current plaque off and put it in a museum where people can still go see it and replace it with something more modern, more meaningful, and more practical.
Rip the current plaque off and put it in a museum where people can still go see it and replace it with something more modern, more meaningful, and more practical.
Why?
I assume it belongs in a museum, it's an important part of our history and people would still want to be able to see it.
No, I mean why change it?
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
Rip the current plaque off and put it in a museum where people can still go see it and replace it with something more modern, more meaningful, and more practical.
Why?
I assume it belongs in a museum, it's an important part of our history and people would still want to be able to see it.
No, I mean why change it?
Because it's 150 years old. Times have changed, things need to change with the times, we were an infant nation then, we have moved forward, time to get out of diapers and pull-ups and put our big boy pants on.
Rip the current plaque off and put it in a museum where people can still go see it and replace it with something more modern, more meaningful, and more practical.
Why?
I assume it belongs in a museum, it's an important part of our history and people would still want to be able to see it.
No, I mean why change it?
Because it's 150 years old. Times have changed, things need to change with the times, we were an infant nation then, we have moved forward, time to get out of diapers and pull-ups and put our big boy pants on.
That and it's just not true any more.
Do you want to get rid of that all men are created equal? I mean it is inconvenient and resulted in civil war as well...
sheesh...
Welcome back, Joe, we missed you!…. That did not age well.
Rip the current plaque off and put it in a museum where people can still go see it and replace it with something more modern, more meaningful, and more practical.
Why?
I assume it belongs in a museum, it's an important part of our history and people would still want to be able to see it.
No, I mean why change it?
Because it's 150 years old. Times have changed, things need to change with the times, we were an infant nation then, we have moved forward, time to get out of diapers and pull-ups and put our big boy pants on.
That and it's just not true any more.
Do you want to get rid of that all men are created equal? I mean it is inconvenient and resulted in civil war as well...
sheesh...
Sure, why is it just men? are women created less equal?
Rip the current plaque off and put it in a museum where people can still go see it and replace it with something more modern, more meaningful, and more practical.
Why?
I assume it belongs in a museum, it's an important part of our history and people would still want to be able to see it.
No, I mean why change it?
Because it's 150 years old. Times have changed, things need to change with the times, we were an infant nation then, we have moved forward, time to get out of diapers and pull-ups and put our big boy pants on.
That and it's just not true any more.
It's not true anymore because this countries Morality is under assault from the Far Right
It should still be true.
Last edited by Damanshot; 08/16/1908:50 AM.
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
Rip the current plaque off and put it in a museum where people can still go see it and replace it with something more modern, more meaningful, and more practical.
Why?
I assume it belongs in a museum, it's an important part of our history and people would still want to be able to see it.
No, I mean why change it?
Because it's 150 years old. Times have changed, things need to change with the times, we were an infant nation then, we have moved forward, time to get out of diapers and pull-ups and put our big boy pants on.
That and it's just not true any more.
It's not true anymore because this countries Morality is under assault from the Far Right
It should still be true.
It's not true because we aren't even in the top 25 for countries with the fewest (by %) of homeless.. so why send us MORE homeless?
We aren't in the top 15 in economic mobility... the ability for a person to change the financial class from that of their parents... we aren't the "land of opportunity"...
We aren't in the top 15 of countries ranked by personal freedoms.. we aren't the "land of the free" any more...
And these trends have been developing for quite a long time under Ds and under Rs.. so take your one-trick pony whinefest "Oh, it's all the rights fault".. and get on out of here...
PDX has way more insight on that than i do, but just my basic knowledge and research, Polish (white people) have free education in poland. they came to england with degrees and ended up taking the high paying and/or high skill jobs away from some of the british.
You are right Swish...that is some of the concern w/immigration in the UK. Plus, the other big grumble point w/Brits is the Polish tend to send a lot of their money back to Poland, thus not using it as freely in the society as many would like. But, in reality it really comes down to the British feeling insecure about the trade skills the Polish bring with them and the salary they command, yet they also often charge less than their British counterpart. So there is a feeling of direct competition and they are losing.
Please note these are NOT my thoughts or feelings, but this is what the "general" layman in the UK feels. I am only the messenger relaying what has been conveyed to me when I talk directly to British friends and family about the social/political climate over there.
Regarding other immigration...ProBexiteers campaigned in a very similar manner to Trump. They peddled fear to the working classes. Fear that jobs were going to disappear and fear of terrorism. IT was based almost entirely on xenophobia and racism. Fear the brown/black skinned person and fear the educated/skilled white tradesman from Eastern Europe. AND, similar to the US....the areas that were pro-Brexit are midlands and northern Europe. These areas, like the midwest and southern US tend to be more conservative, more working class and look towards London with much skepticism, mistrust and cynicism. It is very similar to how many in the midwest/south view those who live on the west coast & northeastern coastal cities in the US.
THEN, add on top of it is the very real fact that the UK is small. Approx. the size of Michigan (give or take) and has 70+ million people. So, there is also the strain on infrastructure. This, of course, is a fact and is understandable to a certain extent. And, it is also why many in the UK feel that countries such as America, Canada and Australia should take in more immigrants as we are much larger countries who can absorb more people than a small island w/70m.
It was the perfect storm for both Brexit and Trump.
All of that said...the real reason why BOTH Brexit and Trump were voted in is because there wasn't a high voter turnout. The breakdown of percentage who voted for Brexit mirrors the popular vote percentage of the 2016 US election (52%/48%). Yes, the UK had a higher turnout than normal, but only 64% of 18-24 year olds voted while 90% of over 65 year olds voted. This is also very similar to US elections. If Millennials and older Gen Z turned out in numbers PLUS if there wasn't the illegal voter suppression of POC (we all know they make it much harder for neighborhoods that are predominately POC to vote than it is in white suburban areas. FACT.), Clinton would have won AND the UK would have remained in the EU. So, the key in the US is...anybody who wants to unseat the current government needs to make sure they turn out in force and vote. Even if it means taking the day off, walking further, standing in a snowy, rainy line for hours to vote. Everybody knows the Trump voters WILL vote. The question is...will the numbers turn up and vote in November? A high turnout usually favors the Dems.
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