Washington Examiner on 'The New Colossus' Debate

In an Op-Ed at the Washington Examiner, Madeline Fry writes about Trump administration official Ken Cuccinelli's ad hoc revision of "The New Colossus," the Emma Lazarus poem that graces the Statue of Liberty. "When the Statue of Liberty stretches out its arms to the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses, it ought to have a few caveats," said Cuccinelli. More: 

Ken Cuccinelli, the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, told NPR on Tuesday that the American ethos involves rewarding strength.

NPR's Rachel Martin asked, “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 ethos?”

Cuccinelli responded, “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.”

In 1883, American poet Emma Lazarus wrote "The New Colossus," the poem that now rests on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty and reads, in part, “Give me your tired, your poor,/ Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free …”

The phrase has become a popular refrain in American culture, but according to Cuccinelli, its directive is too broad. So he warped Lady Liberty’s words to defend the Trump administration’s recent decision to deny green cards and visas to immigrants who are likely to rely on government aid such as food stamps or Medicaid.

Continue reading at the Washington Examiner.