Send Usha back to India: Vance sparks row calling migration theft of American dream

An uproar erupted after US Vice President JD Vance said that mass migration amounts to the "theft of the American Dream," triggering accusations of hypocrisy and xenophobia -- particularly because Vance's own wife, Usha, is the daughter of Indian immigrants.

Vance made the comment in a post on X, claiming that mass migration strips opportunities from American workers. He also alleged that studies contradicting his view were funded by "the people getting rich off of the old system".

A user, quoting Vance's message, shot back, "That means you have to send Usha, her Indian family, and your biracial kids back to India."

USHA'S FAITH REMARKS STIR CONTROVERSY

This isn't a separate instance when Vance targeted mass migration. During a recent appearance on the New York Post's podcast, Vance said it was "totally reasonable and acceptable" for Americans to prefer neighbours who share their race, language or skin colour.

Vance, who often echoes Donald Trump's rhetoric, blamed the Biden administration for what he calls an immigration system that has "promoted division." Asked in the interview whether a returning Trump administration planned to deport all undocumented migrants, Vance said, "We're trying to remove as many as we possibly can."

The latest uproar also revived a separate controversy from last month, when he said his wife, Usha Vance, who is Hindu, will one day come to share his Christian faith, even as he emphasised that their interfaith marriage is built on mutual respect and understanding. Speaking again at a Turning Point USA event, he told supporters that Usha attends church with him, and he "honestly do (es) wish" she might eventually embrace the Christian faith.

Vance later clarified that Usha "has no plans to convert" and that he respects her beliefs.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ESCALATES IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

The Trump administration has escalated its nationwide crackdown on both legal and undocumented immigrants in recent months. On December 3, 2025, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an immediate suspension of all immigration applications, including green cards, citizenship, and asylum claims, from 19 "high-risk" countries previously targeted by travel bans, such as Afghanistan, Somalia, and others, citing heightened security concerns following the fatal shooting of a Guard member by an Afghan asylum seeker in Washington, DC.

This measure, which also halts asylum decisions for over 2.2 million pending cases and mandates re-interviews for refugees admitted under the prior administration, has frozen pathways for thousands of families and workers.

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