Ken Cuccinelli briefs reporters on immigration rule changes

August 12, 2019

Ken Cuccinelli, the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is briefing reporters from the White House Monday, as the Trump administration announces a change to the “public charge” rule that would ostensibly make it more difficult for low-income immigrants to obtain green cards.

As the Trump administration continues to roll back safeguards for immigrants in the United States, the White House is now going one step further by rolling out an enforceable version of the so-called “public charge” rule in the coming days. The final rule is scheduled to be officially published on Wednesday and slated to go into effect in mid-October.

“Public charge is now defined in a way that ensures the law is meaningfully enforced and those that are subject to it are self-sufficient,” Cuccinelli told reporters Monday.

The change would dramatically expand the government’s definition of the centuries-old term “public charge,” effectively making it more difficult for certain low-income immigrants to secure permanent residency (green cards) or temporary visas.

The rule is prospective, and will only apply to applications starting Oct. 1. Officials will evaluate age, health status, income and other factors, and “no one factor alone” will decide an applicant’s case, Cuccinelli said.

The rule does not apply to refugees and asylum applicants, although the administration has already tightened rules for such applicants.

The White House for months has been promising to release legislation to reform the legal immigration system, although any such legislation has yet to materialize. Asked if this public rule charge is an admission from the administration that congressional action is moot, Cuccinelli said, “absolutely not,” and this policy change isn’t a substitute for congressional action.

— CBS News’ Kathryn Watson and Camilo Montoya-Galvez contributed to this report.