Trump Acting Immigration Director Ken Cuccinelli Denies Being A ‘White Supremacist’

On October 30, acting Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ken Cuccinelli denied being a white supremacist during a hearing in the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee while being grilled by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida).

Cuccinelli and Schultz had an animated exchange in the House subcommittee hearing during his testimony when she assailed him with claims of discrimination against any non-Caucasian seeking to come to the U.S. He interrupted her by saying that her statement was “false.” She told him firmly to stop interrupting her.

Cuccinelli accused Schultz of slandering him when she said he didn’t want anyone who looked or talked differently from white people to enter the U.S.

Schultz bluntly said Cuccinelli wanted to “block all immigration and make life harder for immigrants … you will pursue this heinous white supremacist ideology at all costs, even if it means making critically ill children your collateral damage in the process.”

Schultz’s speech against Cuccinelli was made in the context of suspension of a deferred deportation program for illegal immigrants in the summer of 2019 by the Trump administration. While the program was suspended in the summer, Cuccinelli deported many illegal immigrants including critically ill children.

Cuccinelli denied desperately needed medical treatment to children in emergency situations. The deferred deportation program for illegal immigrants was resumed in September 2019 after a backlash by Democrats and human rights activists.

Schultz also criticized the Trump administration’s public charge rule whereby immigrants deemed reliant on welfare would be denied green cards. She demanded to know how many children would be adversely affected by this rule.

Cuccinelli responded by saying he is not a white supremacist. He accused Schultz of misstating facts and telling lies.

Article by Rajeet Guha