Washington, Aug. 14 -- A top Trump administration official said Tuesday that the famous inscription on the Statue of Liberty welcoming immigrants into the country is about "people coming from Europe" and that America is looking to receive migrants "who can stand on their own two feet."

The comments from Ken Cuccinelli, the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, came a day after the Trump administration announced it would seek to deny green cards to migrants who seek Medicaid, food stamps, housing vouchers or other forms of public assistance. The move - and Cuccinelli's defense - promoted an outcry from Democrats and immigration advocates who said the policy would favor wealthier immigrants and disadvantage those fr...