Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has been named acting director of U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services.
It was announced Monday that Cuccinelli, a Republican immigration hard-liner, will lead the agency in an acting capacity. U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, is charged with running the nation’s legal immigration system.
“Our nation has the most generous legal immigration system in the world and we must zealously safeguard its promise for those who lawfully come here,” Cuccinelli said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the men and women of USCIS to ensure our legal immigration system operates effectively and efficiently while deterring fraud and protecting the American people.”
The appointment has been in the works for a while. If President Trump decides to name him as the permanent head of the department, he could face a difficult confirmation challenge in the Senate where Cuccinelli has butted heads with top Republicans.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has expressed opposition to Cuccinelli being picked for any job in the administration. As head of the Senate Conservatives Fund, Cuccinelli backed Matt Bevin in his 2014 primary challenge against McConnell.
Cuccinelli served as Virginia’s attorney general from 2010 to 2014. In 2013, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor, losing to Democrat Terry McAuliffe.
