U.S. Vice President JD Vance has ignited a major political row by stating that mass migration is the “theft of the American Dream,“ a comment widely condemned as hypocritical and xenophobic due to his wife, Usha Vance, being the daughter of Indian immigrants.
Vance’s Rhetoric Sparks Backlash
Vance’s initial remark on X claimed that mass migration harms American workers and was supported by “people getting rich off of the old system.” This prompted sharp criticism, with political commentators like Wajahat Ali publicly demanding Vance “send Usha, her Indian family, and your biracial kids back to India.”
The controversy also revived a previous incident where Vance suggested that his wife, who is Hindu, might one day adopt his Christian faith, though he later clarified she “has no plans to convert” and he respects her beliefs. In another interview, Vance stated it was “totally reasonable and acceptable” for Americans to prefer neighbors who share their race, language, or skin color and confirmed plans to “remove as many [undocumented migrants] as we possibly can” under a returning Trump administration.
Trump Administration Escalates Immigration Crackdown
The controversy over Vance’s remarks coincides with the Trump administration implementing aggressive, specific new policies aimed at both legal and undocumented immigration:
- Application Freeze: On December 3, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) immediately suspended all immigration applications (including green cards and citizenship) from 19 “high-risk” countries previously targeted by travel bans (e.g., Afghanistan, Somalia).
- Asylum Halt: This measure effectively freezes the adjudication of over 2.2 million pending asylum cases regardless of the applicant’s origin.
- Mandatory Re-interviews: The policy also requires re-interviews for refugees admitted under the previous administration, freezing pathways for thousands of families and workers.
This sweeping crackdown was announced following the fatal shooting of a National Guard member by an Afghan asylum seeker, citing heightened security concerns.
