CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Acting U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services director Ken Cuccinelli announced new wealth test standards for legal immigrants. In defending the change, acting hack poet Cuccinelli also gave his twist on the famous Statue of Liberty poem.

Monday, Cuccinelli announced the interpretation of the “Public Charge Rule” would be expanded making it easier to deport any legal immigrants receiving any kind of public assistance. The rule used to be stricter, limited to just welfare checks, and targeting those solely dependent on the payments who make no effort not to be. Now those using even food stamps could be deported, including children.

On NPR’s “Morning Edition”, Cuccinelli was asked by host Rachel Martin about the rule change seeming to contradict the sentiment of the iconic Emma Lazarus Statue of Liberty poem “The New Colossus." In his answer, Cuccinelli added his own twist to the famous lines.

“Would you also agree that Emma Lazarus’s words etched on the Statue of Liberty, ‘Give me your tired, give me your poor,’ are also part of the American ethos?” Martin asked.

“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 was passed--very interesting timing." Cuccinelli responded.

In a later interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett, Cuccinelli claimed the Lazarus poem was only directed at European immigrants. That’s false, but it also confirms what critics have pointed out, that the Trump admin rule change is targeting migrants from Central America.

The Lazarus poem does not say “... who can stand on the their own two feet and who will not become a public charge.” She wrote the poem in 1883, it was installed on Ellis Island in 1903. One part of the poem reads, “From her beacon-hand/Glows world-wide welcome.” Mexico and all of Central America are all still part of that world, even if Cuccinelli next tries to redraw the globe.

Cuccinelli ancestors could have been deported under rule change.

Under the Trump administration legal immigration revisions, Cuccinelli’s own ancestors would be subject to possible deportation at the whim of an immigration agent giving them a wealth test.

Cuccinelli’s great grandfather and grandfather arrived in the United States from Italy as uneducated, impoverished laborers, and remained uneducated and poor. By the 1930 census, Cuccinelli’s great grandfather was retired living in a home with the modern day value of $90,000. He didn’t even own a radio, according to the census. Cuccinelli’s grandfather’s education never went past grade school.

Italian and Ireland immigrants of Cuccinelli’s ancestors day, were the Central American immigrants of today. The majority of immigrants coming into the U.S. then and now, were impoverished and undereducated. They came to the U.S. seeking to better their lives. The kind of government assistance that’s available today, was not available when Cuccinelli’s ancestors arrived.

Prior to being named to his immigration post. Cuccinelli was a CNN pundit. His credentials for that post were being the former Attorney General of Virginia. He later got trounced by Terry McAuliffe in the race for Governor of Virginia.

What iconic American passage will Trump, Cuccinelli and Stephen Miller seek to rewrite next? “We the People...”