US Vice President JD Vance has drawn fresh criticism after declaring that “mass migration is the theft of the American Dream,” a remark that set off a wave
of objections across social media, including from users who pointed to his own family’s immigrant background. “Mass migration is the theft of the American Dream,” Vance wrote on X. “It has always been this way, and every position paper, think tank piece, and econometric study suggesting otherwise is paid for by the people getting rich off of the old system.” His comment came in response to a video of a Louisiana construction company owner who claimed that since US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began operations in the state, “No immigrants want to go to work … and it is so amazing.” The businessman said he had received more job applications in one week than in the previous three months. Vance argued that immigrants were taking opportunities from American workers, adding that studies disputing his view were influenced by people “getting rich off the old system.”
The post led to immediate online backlash. Many users noted that Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, is the American-born daughter of Indian immigrants. The couple has three children.
One user wrote, “Wait, isn't your wife Indian from an immigrant family?” Another said, “That means you have to send Usha, her Indian family, and your biracial kids back to India. Let us know when you buy the plane tickets. You must lead by example.” Others added, “Your wife and children are stealing the American dream.”
Another critic wrote, “There's probably a path to the Republican nomination that doesn't involve throwing your wife, her family, and your children under the bus.” Someone else quipped, “I understand hating your in-laws, but isn't this an extreme response?”
The uproar follows earlier controversy over Vance’s claim that it was “totally reasonable and acceptable” for Americans to prefer neighbors who share their “race, language or skin colour.”
“It is totally reasonable and acceptable for American citizens to look at their next door neighbours and say, I want to live next to people who I have something in common with,” he said on The New York Post podcast, describing scenarios where multiple immigrant families share crowded housing.
Vance has also criticised Canada, blaming “stagnating” living standards on high immigration levels and accusing its leaders of embracing “immigration insanity.”
His recent remarks came as he discussed Springfield, Ohio, which became a flashpoint in the 2024 campaign after President Donald Trump falsely claimed Haitian immigrants there were “eating the cats” and “eating the dogs.”
