Vice President JD Vance has sparked controversy with his description of H-1B visa workers as “foreign indentured servants” while defending the Trump administration’s immigration policies. He said the United States needs an immigration system that protects American jobs and preserves social cohesion.
During a CBS News town hall, Vance said, “My goal here is to make it so that we can have a country with some baseline of social cohesion and sense of community.” He added that he did not think it was unreasonable for American citizens to want to share their communities with people with whom they have something in common.
READ: JD Vance says H-1B program is ‘completely broken’ and backs eliminating it (October 2, 2026)
Vance was responding to an Indian American voter who became a U.S. citizen five years ago and voted for him. She accused him of scapegoating immigrants after he described H-1B visa workers as “foreign indentured servants” earlier this month.
Vance said his rhetoric may have been imperfect, explaining that his criticism was directed at employers and the visa system rather than foreign workers themselves. He argued that the system gives employers too much power over visa holders, who may lose their jobs and be forced to leave the country if their employment ends.
“To the extent that my rhetoric has been imperfect here, that’s on me,” Vance said.
He reiterated that Americans wanting to share their communities with people with whom they have things in common was not an unreasonable desire.
Vance cites family ties to India
Vance also referred to his personal connections to India through his wife, Usha Vance, whose parents immigrated to the United States from South India.
“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,” he said.
Vance said his goal was to foster a country with a baseline of social cohesion and a sense of community while welcoming people who want to contribute to the United States and maintaining a fair system for American workers.
He cited the example of multinational companies hiring accountants from abroad while replacing employees already on their payroll.
His comments have renewed attention to a photograph of Vance and his family with Usha’s extended Indian family. The image went viral in December 2024 after being shared online, with users comparing the gathering to a “big fat Indian wedding.” The photograph shows the couple and their children among about 21 relatives at a family gathering. It has resurfaced amid debate over Vance’s immigration policies and his personal ties to an immigrant family.
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Debate intensifies over H-1B visas
The remarks come amid broader debate over the Trump administration’s immigration policies. On Oct. 8, the administration announced the suspension of eight technology and IT services companies from the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) program, a key step in the employer-sponsored green card process. The companies include TCS, Microsoft, Adobe, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, HCL Technologies and Capgemini.
READ: JD Vance rejects calls to slow AI development, says Americans ‘should not be scared’ (September 15, 2026)
India’s Ministry of External Affairs criticized Vance’s earlier description of H-1B workers as “unwarranted and deeply offensive.”
Vance has argued that immigration policy must balance the need for skilled foreign workers with protecting employment opportunities for U.S. citizens.