they faced people like ken cuccinelli, who's trying to keep people out. and they had to fight past those people to get here. we have seen this before. we have seen it all before, and there would be no cuccinellis in this country if the people who opposed the entry of italian immigrants to this country had their way. we will see if ken cuccinelli is able to block the entry ck, whi clearly, clearly means people with spanish names trying to enter this country. we will cover that later in this hour. we begin tonight with the continuing struggle for democracy, and freedom around the world, a struggle that does not have the support of the president of the united states. tonight, order has been restored at the airport in hong kong, and most flights seem to be running close to schedule after this week's hong kong's airport became the scene of what may be the most important and dangerous protests of china since the uprising in beijing and tiananmen square, killing an unknown number of protesters, mostly students. at that time, hong kong was not yet officially a pa

i mean, when you heard what ken cuccinelli had said, how did you react? >> well, you know, it's one of those things where you keep getting shocked until you're numb to it, of course this is like my writing world and the real world is happening at once, i think it speaks to a larger synophobia of immigrants. those comments are the latest of who can be considered illegal immigrant. the scary part is the president comes from people who use public services now, what's to stop it from the next one being all legal immigrants that come from countries that don't look like they come from norway. do you know? >> take me back a year ago. where did this come from for you? >> our great writer was like -- where can this administration go in complete bizarre row world. we wanted to parody sort of the two people you see there -- certain executives in hollywood talk like. whenever someone gives you notes from another place, this is really quick for us. we were like -- you laugh and you don't laugh any more, because it's happened. you know? >> i do know. >> when you referr

the man behind the plan ken cuccinelli is my guest. trump defends a conspiracy theory involving the clintons. why he obsessed withis his former riflen. >> at ground came in iowa for liz with beth warren. >>> good evening. outfront the tonight the breaking news the first lawsuit against the trump immigration policy blacking hundreds of thousands of moles

that's what ken cuccinelli is talking about. of course the president is here in new jersey, not back at the white house. much of the white house press corps is also here in new jersey, not back at the would you say where this briefing is going on. it will be controversial in the immigrant communities and those who advocate for a broader immigrant policy and a broader reform for allowing people to come into the country. and in some ways it goes against what we have seen over generations and generations of people who have an up-from-the-bootstraps immigrant story where the generosity of the american community helps people to get a leg up and to begin their own american life. this is targeting those who have fewer resources and fewer abilities as they begin their time in the united states. so as ken cuccinelli takes questions, we may be able to refine more of what this is about. this is the president's view of immigration going into deeper regulation to try to make it harder for immigrants with fewer resources to be able to stay le

it's. >> and as we heard ken cuccinelli come and the interesting. on avrnl, individuals in the first, maybe at the state and local levels, than our native born generations. however, women, children, the second generation are among the strongest economic and fiscal contributors in the population. especially if we've bryn there , but as they've demonstrated, the gains completely outweigh one generation. >> you were talking about the poem, and it would be unlikely that he would rewrite that people. public charge has been language in the books since 1882, because there was an url, that i am gla. it's been tied to a certain amount of immigrants, but it's never been used to this degree. it's a chance for the president to make it wider and wealthier. i think it is incredibly elitist and we talk about his racism and his white supremacy, but there is an elitism that this president has that is completely contrary to the kind of voters that he targeted, these white working class voters during his election as part of his administration. so no, i don't buy that

to me ken cuccinelli told on himself and now we're ready for a lawsuit. that's the way we have to engage with this administration. it is a shame when you get to a place where there's an entire aspect of the american government that cannot function. everything has to be a lawsuit with this administration because they act like they don't have fundamental understanding that discriminatory practices on their face are illegal. it's unconstitutional. >> there are already lawsuits now being launched i believe in california to challenge this. but if the administration wants to make sure that people will not be on the dole on welfare and public assistance, they should have immigrants as americans because they work more the than native foreign americans. >> labor participation rate is much higher against those groups. most people don't come here to get on welfare. they come here to make a better life for themselves. ken cuccinelli was saying people who come in the past have been aristocrats and been wealthy and been able to take care of themselves and provide for t

ken cuccinelli is here alive. fox news exclusive. democratic capitol hill staffers barred from visiting border facilities after being accused of rude behavior. we bring you both sides. also "fox news @ night" is investigating allegations of campaign finance violations by a member of the squad, congresswoman ilhan omar. shocking claims of a hospital forcing a catholic nurse to perform an abortion after she told them she was morally opposed. humor at the hospital says and hear from the trump administration official. welcome to "fox news @ night." i'm shannon bream in washington. we go straight to trace gallagher. big news on immigration as the president pushes back on allegations about his efforts to get a wall built and the confusion about the citizenship policy. >> the initial announcement which didn't come with a lot of detail had immigration activists and the media pretty worked up because it appeared to smack down birthright citizenship saying children of certain government employees and service members born abroad abroad were no

ken cuccinelli, you may disagree with the president and the president's approach, but ken cuccinelli is an active and aggressive and comfortable presence in the media. let's go back in time a little bit. >> we're being invaded. being invaded, right? one person at a time. we're being invaded. and the president isn't protecting us from invasion. he's encouraging the invasion. their purpose here is to violate the border, to violate our sovereignty for their own purposes. that's an invasion. >> and he does share the president's vocabulary as he now gets -- he's a government official, but he gets a central role in the campaign because the president is determined to push these issues. >> and stephen miller had a pretty central role in the '16 campaign. he was often out there introducing trump at rallies. he's receded to the background the last couple of years, though his influence remains enormous. cuccinelli has stepped into that role. he's like the peter navarro on the economic team of the immigration team. he speaks the language. he believes deeply in it. sometimes what you see around t

ken cuccinelli is also threatening more i.c.e. raids. >> you can expect to see more of that as part of the message this administration we're going to enforce the law. >> more raids. like the ones last week in mississippi. that led to 700 people being arrested. including the father of 11-year-old magdalena. she was born here. like her siblings. a child sobbing, begging for her father to come home. >> i need my dad. my dad didn't do nothing. he's not a criminal. >> after days with no word, that little girls father finally had a brief phone call with his family today. but they fear he's going to be deported. his wife told cnn "he came here to work. it is out of necessity." yet the president says this. >> our taxpayers paying for people to come into the country and immediately go onto welfare and various other things. so i think we're doing it right. >> well, there have been other presidents who saw all of this very differently. presidents who believed in the american dream. in america's promise to people around the world. listen to p

ken cuccinelli kind of botched all of this. but what he is trying to do is represent the anti-immigration stance of donald trump and has done it in a clumsy way by making a strange and weird historical analogy. >> ken cuccinelli tweeted this image moments ago. him standing next to or in front of a replica of the statue of liberty and said we got a new decoration outside our office. it is a good thing we love liberty. he is reveling in this. >> yeah. what a minor league move by this. here is my fake statue of liberty. instead of just saying i goofed or apology or be quiet he wants to double and triple down on this. back in the 1920s, 1924 to be exact there was an immigration restriction league. people wanted to stop immigrants from coming to the united states if they were not northern european. john f. kennedy wrote a great book called a nation of immigrants. saying that our doors are open to people from all over the world. he was encouraging asian immigration at that point. ronald reagan's farewell address and his whole preside

i'm ken cuccinelli, head of immigration services. and president trump has once again delivered on his promise to the american people to enforce long-standing immigration law. today, uscis, the agency i head as part of homeland security, has issued a rule that encourages and insurers self-reliance and self-sufficiency for those seeking to come to or to stay in the united states. help immigrants find success as they seek opportunity here. throughout our history, self-reliance has been a core principle in america. the virtues of perseverance, hard work, self-sufficiency laid the foundation of our nation will step it defined generations of immigrants seeking opportunity in the united states. our current law, which is generations old, recognizes that some new arrivals to our country need the help of their family and community. it requires some of those who seek to live and remain in the united states to have a sponsor who will be financial rate responsible for them. in the case of my own family, my italian grandfather played this role, sp

>> oh, this president is embracing the new talking points by ken cuccinelli. wolf, i talked to the head of the congressional hispanic caucus joaquin castro who said at one point it is about illegals, now it is legals. this is about the browning of america. and they could pars words or say whatever they want. this is about stopping the browning of america. and if we look at this new talking point they're using, when you talk about the charge that they have on the nation, who is the poorest in america in what area is the poorest in america in it is appalachia. who is appalachia? white america. >> what do you think, david? >> i think there is no doubt that cuccinelli's version is totally perverse version of what is intended in what is on the statue of liberty and i think that there is little doubt this is not -- this is not new for this administration. putting the target on legal immigration, not just illegal immigration, on legal immigration has been something that president trump made very clear early on was going to be a mission of his as well as trying to dea

the man behind the plan ken cuccinelli is my guest. trump defends a conspiracy theory involving the clintons. why he obsessed withis his former riflen. >> at ground came in iowa for liz with beth warren. >>> good evening. outfront the tonight the breaking news the first lawsuit against the trump immigration policy blacking hundreds of thousands of molests in legal immigrants. the lawsuit filed two two california counties a number of court challenges to trump's rule a rule blocking people coming to north america who are likely to receive services like medicare or food stamps. one california official saying, quote, that policy is just a new front in the trump administration's aggressive foolish misguided attacks on immigrant families. trump defiant saying the government should have stopped poor immigrants from entering the united states long ago. >> i don't think it's fair to have the american taxpayer pay for people to come into the united states. so what we have done is institute what took place many, many years ago. i think it's long

juan: ken cuccinelli made the comment a day after the trump administration announced a new rule that would make it harder for undocumented -- or documented, low-income immigrants to stay in the country. the so-called public charge rule would penalize immigrants seeking benefits including medicaid, food stamps, and housing vouchers by allowing officials to deny green cards and visa applications to those individuals. on tuesday night, ken cuccinelli defended his comments in an interview with cnn's erin burnett. >> what do you think america stands for? >> of course that column was referring back to people coming from europe where they had class-based societies, where people were considered wretched if they were not in the right classe. amy: well, we turn now to the pulitzer prize-winning reporter sonia nazario who has closely documented why migrants from centraral america are fleeing their homes. earlier this year, nazzario spent a month in honduras documenting how cocorruptionon d gagang violence are foforcing my people to leave. she recently wrote about it a -- about her trip in a pie

listen to ken cuccinelli, acting director of u.s. citizenship and immigration services, taking liberties with the iconic statue of liberty poem in this interview with nwr. >> would you agree that the words etched on the statue of liberty, give me your tired, your poor, are also part of the american ethos? >> they certainly are. give me your tired and poor who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge. >> those comments came a day after the white house reinterpreted an 1882 public charge rule to limit legal immigration by denying green cards to people who require public assistance. last night on cnn's erin burnett, she tried to get cuccinelli to explain his unusual take on lady liberty's poem. >> so obviously the actual poem is quite different. i'm going to read it. >> i was answering a question, i wasn't writing poetry. don't change the facts -- >> i'm not changing the facts. i'm saying -- >> you're twisting this like everybody else on the left has done all day today. >> no, it's important -- >> of cours

ken cuccinelli is the acting director of u.s. citizenship and immigration services. he briefed reporters this morning at the white house. this is about half an hour.

so ken cuccinelli kind of botched all this. what he's trying to do is represent this anti-immigration stance of donald trump and he's done night chumcy way by making a strange and weird historical analogy. in many ways defaming male lazarus. >> ken cuccinelli tweeted this image moments ago. and it is him standing next to, in front of a replica of the statue of liberty. and em, we've got a new decoration outside our office. today it is a good thing we love liberty. he's reveling in this. >> yeah. what a minor league move by him, right? here's my fake statue of liberty. instead of just saying, i goofed in making an apology or being quiet, he seems to want to double and triple down on this and it is because back in the 1920s, 1924, to be exact, it was an immigration restriction league. people wanted to stop immigrants from coming into the united states if they weren't northern european. and many presidents have stood up to that. john f. kennedy wrote a great book called a nation of immigrants saying we don't stand for xenophobia a

. >>> ken cuccinelli we'll see him live. we're learning one of the food processing plant targeting the immigration raid a week ago is host jobs fair today. this after hundreds of its workers were arrested after those raids. >> this was a joint criminal investigation with i.c.e. and the department of justice targeting work site enforcement companies who knowingly and willfully hire illegal aliens to pay them reduced wages, exploit them further for the bottom line. that's what the investigation was about. a criminal investigation. >> bill: we'll talk with former acting i.c.e. director tom holman and first, rick is at the job site. good morning. >> the job fair officially starts in about 30 minutes and lasts four hours and they open the door and the parking lot is full. they said they're not how many jobs they're looking to fill and don't know what kind of turnout they'll get but it's one of several processing companies to get raided with 680 workers detained for possible immigration violations. there's been a lot of criticism

>> remember, ken ran a vigorous campaign when he ran in virginia. he's not new to this. i will say, i think that what he's just begun accepting some of this language as though it's common place. i think it's really important for us every time it's used in any circle we have to call that out for what it is otherwise we become too used to it and it does become where the bar is. >> i want to show you someone who did something exactly what you're describing. this is last week on the tying donald trump's immigration principles to white supremacy. >> you've been very clear you believe the president is a racist. is the president a white supremacist? >> he is. he's also made that very clear. a dehumanizer sought to dehumanize who do not look like or play like the majority in this country. he said, i wish we had more immigrants from nordic countries. those from haites bring aides and others. and he wants to keep out from torture and cruelty. >> claire, that's absolutely correct. i guess i'm worried some democrats trying to win back some of the trump coalition and michigan and eri

and i should also point out, ken cuccinelli will be on erin tonight at 7:00 eastern here on cnn. rachel, thank you very much. >> you're welcome. >>> the president just claimed the top republican in the senate now supports background checks. what leader mitch mcconnell's office is actually saying. >>> plus, a rash of suicides is rattling the new york police department now that an officer has taken his life. what is being done to help these officers in crisis? i'm finding it hard to stay on top of things. a faster laptop could help. plus, tech support to stay worry free. worry free. boom! ha.ha. boom! now save up to 40% on all furniture. up to 40% at office depot officemax or officedepot.com. no cover-up spray here. cheaper aerosols can cover up odors in a flowery fog. but febreze air effects eliminates odors. with a 100% natural propellent. it leaves behind a pleasant scent you'll love. [deep inhale] freshen up. don't cover up. febreze. >>> a comedian is taking on social media trolls who tried to extort her by beating them to the punch. stand-up comic whitney cummings says she acc

watch ken cuccinelli at thein white house ne of your i will get your reaction. public chathe role, president trump's of administration is reinforcing the ideals of self-sufficiency and personal responsibility. >> these are not undocumented, these legal immigrants that have a visa, basically scaring them from taking part in a kindf government program, even though they are legal and they a paying taxesa: >> already the state of california has sued the trump administration cher the public arge role. that comes after california had already moved to allow people who are either illegal to get health care benefits. what kind of danr do democrats face trying to win national elections by taking his positions? >> governor bullock: two different things, i even served with ken cuccinelli he wasal attorney gen. putting him in charge of immigration would be like i putting putcharge of theur electionity. >> dana: if you disagree with the public>>harge will? overnor bullock: what i disagree with as we argusin the immigration to essentially divide this country. when it -- as a d

citizenship and immigration services ken cuccinelli tried it on cnn literally right after an anchor read the tweet on air. >> the president sent this out yesterday at 8:00 a.m. "so interesting to see progressive democratic congresswomen who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt, and inept anywhere in the world, if they even have a functioning government at all, now loudly and viciously telling the people of the united states, the greatest and most powerful nation on earth, how our government is to be run. why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came? what did you think of that tweet? >> well, i didn't see that tweet, actually. i can hear what you're reading >> seth: yeah, you ca -- you just heard it! [ laughter ] she just read it to you. republicans are like your friends who haven't seen a tv show trying to avoid spoilers while they're watching the show. [ light laughter ] "no, no, no, don't give it away!" seriously, the only way you can support trump without

join a family member just like ken cuccinelli. my greenhs, i had card, i found a job and i was working for three dollars per hour cleaning. then i got married and got divorced. at that time, i needed some help and i thought i would get it, but i did not. basically i was homeless with my child on the street. i did not get any benefits. i was a legal immigrant at that time. i was already in the country for 15 years. i was a citizen actually because i got my citizenship in 5 years. still, i did not get any benefits because i think there is -- certaints from a country, they have a tendency to benefits to immigrants legal or illegal from the same country. nobody was willing to help. host: what do you think about these changes announced by the trump administration? somer: i think for immigrants, of course, it would news because as i said, they were getting help from their fellow immigrants who were actually working at those agencies. -- evengrants like me if i was fully eligible, i was still discriminated against because of the country

cnn's file dug up shocking language used to describe immigrants by ken cuccinelli. you are live in the cnn newsroom. family. hole like unlimited with netflix on us. and now with each new line, get one of our latest smartphones included. $40/line for four lines and smartphones are included for the whole family. thanks to move free ultra i keep up with this little one. see the world with this guy. and hit the town with these girls. in a clinical study, 4 out of 5 users felt better joint comfort. move free ultra. movement keeps us connected. ♪ living well do you often wake up with chest congestion? or suffer excess mucus? try mucinex 12 hour. the bio layer tablet immediately releases to thin and loosen excess mucus. and lasts for 12 hours. mucinex 12 hour. >> he's the top white house official who edited the statue of liberty poem to suggest that only immigrants who can stand on their own two feet are welcome in the united states. >> well, of course, that poem was referring back to people coming from europe where they had class-based societies where people were consid

. >>> the backlash against ken cuccinelli for trying rewrite the poem, the hallowed words on the statue of liberty. she found a group of sixth graders who have a better understanding of its meaning. (in dutch) tell him we need this merger. (in dutch) it's happening..! just ok is not ok. especially when it comes to your network. at&t is america's best wireless network and now, get the option of spotify premium on us, with your unlimited plan. more for your thing. that's our thing. [music playing] jerry has a membership to this gym, but he's not using it. and he has subscriptions to a music service he doesn't listen to and five streaming video services he doesn't watch. this is jerry learning that he's still paying for this stuff he's not using. he's seeing his recurring payments in control tower in the wells fargo mobile app. this is jerry canceling a few things. booyah. this is jerry appreciating the people who made this possible. oh look, there they are. (team member) this is wells fargo. ♪ sleep this amazing? that's a zzzquilpure zzzs sleep. our liquid has a unique botanical blend,

that wasn't the case back in the days of ellis island which ken cuccinelli was talking about. the programs didn't even exist. and today while we have those public assistance programs, d.r.e.a.m.ers, h grksb1 visas a visitors can't. >> so what's the goal, then? if you're not stopping people from coming into this country and abusing our public welfare systems, is that just for the base to say, yeah, good, you're stopping them? >> yes, because it's more than the base. your average person out there, ali, does not know the ins and outs of our immigration system -- >> i emigrated to this country. i don't know the rules. >> that's why i'm saying, did we have public assistance rules when they first emigrated here from europe? the answer is no. they can say, i'm not doing very well and these immigrants are on public assistance. come on now. >>> the recession is doing better than when we started the show. we'll tell you about that. we're live on msnbc. e live on m. (dad) i think it's here. (mom vo) especially at this age. (big sister) where are we going? (mom vo) it's a big, beautiful w

. >> ken cuccinelli. >> oh, my god! i blame you for ken cuccinelli. >> he was on cnn. >> he was on a lot. i didn't watch much when he was on. i love your show. every night i come home. my wife and i have a glass of wine, a handful of nuts, watch a little anderson and go to bed. that's how i end my day. >> a handful of nuts? >> you're not going to stay in the suit. i go home and veg out. there are a few panelists i have to skip over. i have to skip over. cuccinelli would be one of them. >> if any other person in an administration, a prior administration, had rewritten the words of ema lazarus's poem which presidents from time immemorial have quoted with great reverence, it would be an outrage. it would be, people's heads would explode understandably. it is a fundamental bed rock marker of who we are. >> yes. there's our physical constitution and then our physical bill of rights. the physical declaration of independence. but also an emotional constitution that america has. an emotional reality that we all share that makes

ken cuccinelli will go on any network and explain it. if you are overseas and you have a kid, like john mccain was born overseas as a young man to his daddy was an officer. it's not going to apply to you. but if you are an illegal immigrant, if you don't have papers to belong here and your kid is born somewhere else, that's the issue. >> capri: that has nothing to do with this most recent thing, for my understanding. it has nothing to do with people who are illegal. it's two categories of service people. one that may adopt -- that are serving abroad and may adopt a foreign-born baby, but that couple is naturally-born american. they would have to apply for that baby to become an american citizen. the other group -- >> brian: but are the american citizens? it will be no problem. >> capri: my understanding is they stop to apply. >> dagen: that proves my point. >> capri: the second part has to do with individuals who are green card holders that are serving in the american military abroad, that have a baby overseas while serving in the milita

cuccinelli,, ken acting director of the u.s. citizenship and immigration services agency announced a new -- this is about 30 minutes. >> good morning. it is a pleasure to be here with you. i'm ken cuccinelli, head of immigration services. and president trump has once again delivered on his promise to the american people to enforce long-standing immigration law. today, uscis, the agency i head as part of homeland security, has issued a rule that encourages and ensures self-reliance and self-sufficiency for those seeking to come to or to stay in the united states. it will also promote immigrant success in the united states as they seek opportunity here. throughout our history, self-reliance has been a core principle in america. the virtues of perseverance, hard work, self-sufficiency laid the foundation of our nation and have defined generations of immigrants seeking opportunity in the united states. throughout our history, self-reliance has been a core principle in america. the virtues of perseverance, hard work, self-sufficiency

i have never seen a wave of america worse off, they're always better off. >> ken cuccinelli saying of the emma lazarus program and the statue of liberty, it was about people coming from europe. >>> coming up, federal investigators want to find out what went wrong at the manhattan jail where jeffrey epstein died. there are new questions about whether the guards assigned to watch him were sleeping on duty. >>> plus, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell continues to face backlash for blocking a series of election security bills. senator and 2020 candidate michael bennet says it is unacceptable and he's got a new plan to do something about it. he'll be here to explain. "morning joe" is coming back in a moment. in "morning joe" is coming back in a moment right now, congress is working to end surprise medical billing. that's when patients are hit with medical bills they thought would be covered by insurance. but what congress is considering would cut money that vulnerabe patients rely on the most. that means seniors, children, and americans relying on medicaid would be hurt. it's already

chief ken cuccinelli continues to rewrite the famous poem on the statue of liberty. >>> plus, there's new speculation that former governor john hickenlooper might drop out of the presidential race to run for something else. we'll tell you about that and a check on the weather when we come right back. but in my mind i'm still 25. that's why i take osteo bi-flex, to keep me moving the way i was made to. it nourishes and strengthens my joints for the long term. osteo bi-flex - now in triple strength plus magnesium. ♪ work so hard ♪ give it everything you got ♪ strength of a lioness ♪ tough as a knot ♪ rocking the stage ♪ and we never gonna stop ♪ all strength, no sweat. ♪ just in case you forgot ♪ all strength. ♪ no sweat secret. all strength. no sweat. but we're also a company that controls hiv, fights cancer, repairs shattered bones, relieves depression, restores heart rhythms, helps you back from strokes, and keeps you healthy your whole life. from the day you're born we never stop taking care of you. >>> welcome back, everyone. the trump administration is defendin

. >> ken cuccinelli is coming under renewed fire after rewriting emma lazarus'p poemon the statue of liberty. last night, he was not backing down. he was doubling down. even making it more obvious that this new rule is targeting hispanics. >> that poem was referring back to people coming from europe where they had class based societies where people were considered wretched if they weren't in the right class. >> really? let's get the inside scoop from our white house correspondent for the pbs news hour. jonathan lemire, white house reporter for the associated press and msnbc political an list and back with us, kristen welker. ken cuccinelli's rewrite of emma lazarus and saying in europe the huddled masses yearning to breathe free were from a class based society, which makes it okay to let them in. i mean, i'm trying to get my head around all this. let me get your take. >> this is really the administration making very clear who they want to be immigrants in this country. the president has said he doesn't want people from s-hole countries coming here two years ago steven miller when he

trump administration official ken cuccinelli will join me live. >>> he said it was the god's truth. a new report says joe biden mixed up almost every detail of a moving anecdote he on which tells on the campaign trail. >>> plus president trump reportedly considering a new plan that might put him in putin's good graces. >>> welcome to "the lead." i'm dana bash in for jake tapper. we start with the national lead. the trump administration changing the rules again, creating a new obstacle for some members of the military who risk their lives to serve the united states. now it may be harder for some of their children to become u.s. citizens. it's part of a pattern by this administration to crack down on legal immigrants, never mind illiam immigration. just yesterday two officials confirmed to cnn president trump said he was willing to part any aides who might break the law, trying to finish construction of his border wall. he ordered the rates on nearly 700 on undocumented workers, crying, wondering what happened to their parents. as it takes aim at new and non-u.s. citizen who are servi

. >> ken cuccinelli is attempting to defend himself to erin burnett tonight. watch this. >> well, of course that poem was referring back to people coming from europe, where they had class-based societies, 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. >> so let's bring in now michael wilds, the immigration attorney who represented first lady melania trump among other clients. he is the other of safe haven in america as well. good evening, sir. >> thank you, don. >> your response to ken cuccinelli, what he said today, twisting the iconic words to defend his policy, you think? >> poor taste. just poor judgment, poor taste of words. with the magnificence of lady liberty but a few miles from this studio. and the founding mothers and fathers having sought our shores to create this beautiful golden experiment. the book that i wrote was "safe haven in america: battle to open the golden doors." those doors need to be opened on a

joining us now is ken cuccinelli, the u.s. director of citizenship and immigration services. thanks so much for being here. >> morning. >> so explain how this helps. explain how it helps to keep kids -- >> sure. first of all, you mentioned -- >> hold on. the issue for you guys has been overcrowding. so how does this solve that? >> no, it is not just overcrowding. and it wasn't a supreme court settlement. it was one district court judge in california who took a 1997 case and in 2015 added families to the settlement related to children. president obama's administration vehemently opposed that movement by the single judge. that single judge's decision in 2015 played an enormous role in the explosion of the crisis at the border that we're still contending with today. so what we did do this week and it is as you note, it is a very big deal. the flores settlement is the name of the case. so we called this the flores rule. and it fixes that problem. the problem was the inability to hold families -- detain families more than 20 days. now we can hold them until their whole court situa

i blame you for ken cuccinelli. >> he was on cnn. >> a lot, a lot. i didn't watch much when he was on because there's a certain -- i love your show, you know, every night i come home my wife and i have a glass of of wine, handful of nuts, watch a little anderson, go to bed. that's how i end my day. >> a harndful of nuts? >> i have to stay in the suit, i can't come home and binge out. >> right. >> there are a few panelists i have to skip over, i have to skip over some of the -- cuccinelli would be one of them. >> if any other person in an administration, prior administration had rewritten the words of emma lazarus's poem, which presidents from time immemorial have quoted with great reverence, it would be an outrage. it would be -- people's heads would explode understandably because it is a fundamental bed rock marker of who we are. >> yes. there is our physical constitution and then there is our physical bill of rights and certainly there's the physical declaration of independence, but there is also this emotional constitution that america has. there

immigration services, ken cuccinelli, not ready to answer for the policy he was announcing that would turn the screws on legal immigrants being in direct contradiction with the poem at the base of the statue of liberty. today he went on national public radio and was clearly more prepared not to defend the policy, but to change the poem. >> would you also agree that emma lazarus' words edged on the statue of liberty, "give me your tired, your poor" are also part of the american ethos? >> they certainly are. give me your tired and your poor who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge. that plaque was put on the statue of liberty at almost the same time as the first public charge law was passed. very interesting timing. >> we're not sure who wrote that version of the poem for ken cuccinelli, it sure seems stephen miller's version is making its way around the white house. and the stephen miller version is sure making its way into american policy. ancestrydna can reveal where in the world you're from. and with new features and richer stories, it can lead you

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cuccinelli, was on npr this morning defending his new policy and i want to play a quick bite of it. >> would you also agree emma lazarus's words etched on the statue of liberty, give me your tired, your poor are also part of the american ethos? >> they certainly are. give me your tired and your poor who can stand on their own two feet. and who will not become a public charge. >> victoria, many americans on both sides have said they find the president's rhetoric abornt b abhorrent but it is really only his base who have stuck with him recently. does this new policy appeal to more people who say we've got rural hospitals closing every day, we've got americans who aren't making a living wage and schools that aren't good enough. do more americans outside president trump's base actually support this policy that if people come here they need to support themselves? >> stephanie, at first sight it does seem like it can appeal to a wider base of people saying, well, you know, we don't want to have competition. we're going through tough times in certain areas of america. we don't want to have

w >>druff: ken cuccinelli, acting director of the u.s. citizenship and immigration service. >> judy, good to be with you. oo >>uff: it was widely reported that the trumpmi stration may block $250 million in military its overall efforts to curtailof foreign aid. mr. trump began supplying weaps to ukraine two years a in its fight against russian- backed separatists. the war there is now in its sixth year, with thousands dead and no signs of an end in sightn with no u.s. troop presence anywhere near the front lines, some american citize have decided to go and fight anyway. from those front lines, special correspondent simon ostrovsky reports. >> reporr: damien rodriguez is an american citizen from the bronx with a habit of figh mng in wars thy would say are not his own. >> my passion is to volunteer for different milita militias, and help defend their land. >> reporter: in 2015, damien traveled to syria. >> the isis videos that were coming out-- decapitating people, burning peoplelive, selling women-- i felt like i had to do something, and o

. >> ken cuccinelli -- >> oh, my god. i blame you for ken cuccinelli. >> he was on cnn. >> a lot. i didn't watch much when he was on because there's a -- i love your show. every night i come home, my wife and i have a glass of wine, handful of nuts, my wife and i watch anderson, and go to bed. and there are a few panelists that i just can't -- i got to skip over. i got to skip over. >> what's amazing -- >> was there anything you ever asked him and thought, i'm going to get an honest answer? >> his answers are very thought out in terms of the grammatical structure of them and can be confusing which i think is part of the strategy. if any other person in an administration -- a prior administration has rewritten the words of the poem which presidents from time immemorial have quoted with great reverence, it would be an outrage. people's heads would explode because it's a fundamental bedrock marker of who we are. >> yes. there's our physical constitution and then there's our physical bill of rights, the physical declaration of independence, but there's this emotion constitution that w

ken cuccinelli we profiled on the show for his extremely conservative record is pushing back himself. he says as you heard, it's not too much to ask migrants to be "self-sufficient." before i turn to the panel, i want to leave one final thought on all of this news you've just heard as it jumbles tooth. mr. cuche any little is carrying out the trump plan, the trump agenda. and that idea that everyone must be self-sufficient misreads america in ways. first, there is nothing wrong with people who happen to receive federal benefits sometimes. whether they're seniors on social security or veterans who get health insurance or workers who get unemployment insurance because they've lost a job by no fault of their own in a recession or corporate decision or children who get food assistance. let's remember there is no insult, no failing in participating in those programs at some point in your life. it's part of our social safety net. long funded and operated if you want to get political by yes, administrations in both parties. then there's the immigration piece of this, second. america's ethic

i want to start with ken cuccinelli, announcing the so-called public charge rule earlier this week. through the public charge rule be trump administration is ofnforcing the ideals self-sufficiency and personal responsibility and making sure immigrants can't support themselves and become -- can't support themselves and become successful in america. our rule events aliens who will likely to become a public charge from coming to the united states or remaining here and getting a green card. public charge is now defined in a way that make sure the law is meaningfully enforced and that those who are subject to it are self-sufficient. explainex nowrasteh, public charge and how the rules is interpreted in the past of what the changes are? guest: the idea immigrants who come here should be able to sustain themselves, support themselves financially, either through their own hard work or through support of family members but not through the support of the federal government or state and local governments. the origin or the rule -- of the role was in the 16 40's in massachusetts, and inherited

this morning acting citizenship and administration director ken cuccinelli defended this new ru ru rule. >> would you also agree that emma lazarus' words etched on the statue of liberty, "give me your tired, your poor" are also part of the american o american ethos? >> they certainly are. >> all immigrants who can pull themselves up by their bootstraps are welcome. this afternoon president trump defended cuccinelli and the new administration policy when asked if he thinks those welcoming words should be changed. >> well, i don't think it's fair to have the american taxpayer, you know, it's about america first, i don't think it's fair to have the american taxpayer pay for people to come into the united states. so what we've done is introduce what took place many, many years ago at our founding virtually. we are just reinstituting it. and i think it's long overdue. >> well, nbc news reports that, quote, the rule change would require immigrants applying for a change in immigration status like a greencard or those seeking to come here to prove that they are unlikely to ever need public assi

cuccinelli. he is the acting director of the u.s. citizenship and immigration services and he joins me now. thank you for being here. >> judy, good to be with you. >> woodruff: so a lot of changes. they've been coming fast and furious in the field of immieeation and as we have n listening to all -- nominee inze cihip and immigration. what i want to ask you about this new policy, we just learned about it this week. it ends automatic citizenship r -- >> no. nope. >> woodruff: it ends automatic citizenship -- >> new york it doesn't. >> woodruff: can i te it and you can correct it if you disagree, but ends automatic citizenship for some children born to s. citizens whare stationed abroad either working for the u.s. government as diplomats or the military?? why this mo >> well, first of all, theen statabout who becomes a citizen at birth is not correct. l the same people still become citizens at birth. this is -- for your viewers, this is all about people outside the united states. some people have sa