Trump administration boosts ability to deny green cards to immigrants using welfare programs

Trump administration defends new green card rule
The Trump administration on Monday issued a long-awaited rule strengthening the ability of federal officials to deny green cards to immigrants deemed likely to rely on government aid. Officials described the so-called "public charge" rule as a way to ensure those granted permanent residency are self-sufficient -- and protect taxpayers in the process. Ken Cuccinelli, the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), defended the rule as strengthened a long-held standard for potential immigrants and green card holders. "The rule we issued today, a public charge rule, is intended to once again give meaningful effect to the public charge standard," he said Monday on "Tucker Carlson Tonight." "What that is in ordinary English... is basically that we try to avoid having immigrants come through our process... who are likely in the future to become welfare-dependent." Click on the video above to watch Cuccinelli's interview from "Tucker Carlson Tonight."