JD Vance admits H-1B rhetoric was ‘imperfect’ after immigrant challenges him

US Vice President JD Vance said that his rhetoric on H1B visas was “imperfect”. During his one-hour CBS News town hall titled "Things That Matter," he faced questions from a naturalised US citizen, Niv Agaram, who accused Vance of "scapegoating" immigrants for his and Trump administrations' failure. Vance responded that he meant US companies and the visa system, not H-1B visa holders.

"After seeing ICE behave like military police and you called H-1B visa workers ‘indentured servants,’ I think Americans are anything but safe! Why are you scapegoating immigrants for the issues you’re supposed to be solving?” said Niv Agaram.

“I would say, and to the extent that my rhetoric has been imperfect here, that's on me,” Vance responded.

"It's a criticism of the visa system that allows people to be treated effectively as indentured servants that can be shipped back to their country of origin," said Vance.

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Vance once again brought up his in-laws' and wife's identity to insulate himself from charges of xenophobia or scapegoating. His wife, Usha Vance, belongs to an immigrant family.

"You know where my family comes from, and I love my mother-in-law and father-in-law who immigrated from South India, and obviously their daughter, born in the United States of America, is now the second lady, and I’m very proud of her, and I love her very much," said Vance.

Vice President JD Vance had sparked a major diplomatic row in early October by explicitly describing H-1B visa holders as "foreign indentured servants." He delivered the remarks during an official White House briefing and Fraud Task Force press conference in Washington, DC, while announcing the suspension of tech companies like Adobe and Microsoft from the PERM green card program.

The remark drew a reaction from India, as 70% of all approved H-1B petitions annually are Indian. India objected to the terminology as "deeply offensive" and said it carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations.