Vance doubles down on H-1B crackdown, ties loyalty to citizenship
Vance doubles down on H-1B crackdown, ties loyalty to citizenship
Vance pushes for tighter H-1B rules and loyalty-first immigration, highlighting assimilation and concerns over visa fraud.
A Georgia townhall featured a high-profile address on immigration policy as the vice president reiterated a hard line on the H-1B visa program, arguing that national loyalty should come before other loyalties and that assimilation is a key measure of citizenship.
While acknowledging that H-1B fraud exists, the speaker stressed that many immigrants have enriched the United States and that the system should be reined in rather than dismantled.
Citing his wife, Usha Vance, and her immigrant parents as exemplars of successful assimilation, he argued that citizenship carries obligations to the United States rather than to the country of origin. "When you become a US citizen, whether you have nine generations of lineage or zero, one of your obligations is to think of the best interest of your country," he said.
He rebutted a Ukrainian-American attendee's call for more arms to Ukraine, saying his father-in-law who became an American citizen never urged decisions based on the country he came from.
The comments underscore a broader debate linking the H-1B program to wage concerns in tech and calls for reforms, while admitting that the United States has benefited from immigrant contributions. He also acknowledged the decades-long green-card backlog that leaves many Indian nationals waiting for permanent residency, without offering a concrete policy fix on the spot.
Critics fear such rhetoric could complicate bipartisan immigration talks, even as supporters applaud a stronger focus on national loyalty. No detailed policy plan was unveiled, but the address framed loyalty and assimilation as touchstones for future policy.
