An immigration row erupted after US vice president JD Vance declared that mass migration amounts to “theft of the American Dream.”This comment again triggered an ongoing row regarding JD’s Hindu-Indian wife, Usha. Social media accused the second-highest MAGA leader of hypocrisy because his own wife was born to immigrants.Vance posted on X that “mass migration is theft of the American Dream”, adding that studies suggesting otherwise were funded by “the people getting rich off of the old system”. JD’s comments follow earlier remarks made during an appearance on the New York Post’s podcast, where he said that it was “totally reasonable and acceptable” for Americans to not want neighbours with whom they shared nothing in common, including race, language or skin colour.Vance, like his boss, Donald Trump, blames the Biden administration for an immigration system that “promoted division” in US. The vice president was asked whether the Trump administration planned to deport all illegal migrants. Vance replied, “We’re trying to remove as many as we possibly can.”Vance has repeatedly argued that migrants are damaging the prospects of American workers. Speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Mississippi last week, he said immigrants were “undercutting the wages of American workers” while defending Donald Trump’s H-1B visa reforms. Last month, JD Vance strirred another row after saying he hoped his wife, Usha, who was born into a Hindu family, might one day convert to Christianity. He told supporters at a Turning Point USA event that Usha attends church with him, and one day he “honestly do[es] wish” she might eventually share his Christian faith. The comments were not liked by Hindu American groups and religious-freedom advocates. Vance later clarified that his wife “has no plans to convert.” It is still in question whether his conservative White nationalist base fully accepts Usha as a second lady of US or not. Her brown heritage gets dragged into the question especially after the recent discussions of the viability of H1-B visas.
