Frustration over tightening immigration rules took center stage when an Indian American student confronted Vice President JD Vance during a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi. Her fiery question aimed at the Trump administration’s tough stance on foreign workers quickly went viral, resonating with many who feel disillusioned by Washington’s ongoing immigration crackdown.
“When you talk about too many immigrants here, when did you guys decide the number? Why did you sell us a dream; you made us spend our youth and wealth in this country and gave us a dream. You don’t owe us anything; we have worked hard for it. Then how can you as the VP say that ‘we have too many of them now and we are going to take them out’ to people who are here rightfully by paying the money that you guys asked us,” the Indian American woman asked.
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Responding firmly to the student’s question, Vance defended the administration’s restrictive immigration policies, saying the U.S. needs to bring down overall immigration levels while honoring those who entered the country legally. “Just because one person, ten people, or a hundred people came in legally and are contributing to the United States of America, does that mean we are thereby committed to let in a million or ten million or a hundred million people in the future?” he said, arguing that what benefited the nation decades ago no longer fits today’s realities.
“My job as the vice president of the U.S. is not to look out for the interests of the whole world. It’s to look out for the people of the United States,” Vance responded to a huge applause from the crowd.
The student’s bold questioning drew widespread attention online, earning her praise from many who admired her courage. However, several accounts lashed out, branding her a “delusional Hindu H-1B invader.”
Her question struck a nerve at a time when immigration has become a flashpoint in U.S. politics. The administration has recently taken steps to curb the entry of foreign workers, introducing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa programs, ending automatic extensions for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), and backing Florida’s move to prohibit H-1B hires in public universities.
The exchange intensified when the same Indian American woman pressed Vance on his views about Christianity, a question that sparked a larger controversy. In response, Vance remarked that he wished his Indian American wife, Usha Vance, had embraced Christianity, a comment that quickly ignited a storm of reactions across social media and political circles.
“Do I hope eventually she is moved by the same thing I was moved by? Yes. I believe in the Christian gospel, and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it the same way,” Vance said. “If she doesn’t, then God says everybody has free will, so that doesn’t cause a problem for me.”