‘Love my Indian in-laws’: Vance clarifies ‘indentured servants’ remark amid H-1B row; says his ‘rhetoric may have been imperfect’
JD Vance Seeks to Clarify H-1B “Indentured Servants” Comments
Bdbusinessdaily.com – US Vice-President JD Vance has sought to soften controversy over his description of some H-1B visa holders as “foreign indentured servants,” saying his choice of words may not have been perfect while maintaining that US immigration policy should protect American workers.
Speaking on Sunday, Vance pointed to his own family ties to India as he addressed criticism of the remarks. His wife, Usha Vance, is the daughter of immigrants from South India and serves as the second lady of the United States.
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.
Vance acknowledged that his rhetoric “may have been imperfect,” but argued that welcoming people who want to contribute to the United States must be balanced against concerns about how major employers use overseas recruitment.
Debate over corporate hiring and foreign talent
The dispute emerged after the Trump administration suspended several companies from the Permanent Labour Certification Programme, commonly known as PERM. The programme is an initial stage for employers seeking to sponsor foreign workers for lawful permanent residence, including workers already in the United States on H-1B and other visas.
The affected companies included Microsoft, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini. The action drew particular attention in India because Indian technology professionals form a significant part of the skilled-worker population using H-1B visas.
When announcing the suspensions earlier this month, Vance urged companies to expand hiring among Americans. He said employers should stop importing an “indentured servant” for work that a US employee would be willing to perform. The phrase prompted a strong reaction because it appeared to portray skilled foreign professionals as exploited labour rather than as qualified employees and contributors to the US economy.
In his clarification, Vance said his concern was focused on cases in which a large company claims it cannot find a suitable domestic candidate while dismissing workers already employed in similar roles.
I think that we can have a respect and a welcome to people who want to contribute to the United States of America…but also recognize that if you're a major corporation – let's say you're a trillion dollar company and you bring in somebody, an accountant, and you say that you cannot hire an accountant from your existing labor pool, and when you're doing that, you fire an accountant that was already on the payroll. That's not fairness.
He said such an approach harms both groups: immigrants who enter a system shaped by employer dependence and American workers who fear replacement or reduced opportunities.
I do think that we can strike that balance in the right way. I think that our immigration system has to balance.
Why PERM matters for H-1B workers
PERM is a major part of the route to a green card for many foreign professionals. It allows an employer to pursue permanent residence sponsorship for an eligible employee after completing the required labour-certification process. For workers in the United States on temporary employment visas, a PERM filing can be an important step toward longer-term security for themselves and their families.
The suspension of companies from that process therefore has consequences beyond routine corporate paperwork. It can affect workers who are already employed in the United States and seeking a more stable immigration status. It also places renewed attention on how employers document hiring needs, recruitment practices and the availability of US workers for particular jobs.
Vance’s comments reflect a wider political argument over whether employment-based immigration fills genuine skills gaps or gives companies a way to restrain wages and bypass domestic candidates. Supporters of skilled immigration often stress the role of international professionals in technology, research, health care and business innovation. Critics focus on the obligation of employers to recruit and retain American workers before looking abroad.
India rejects characterisation of its professionals
India responded sharply to Vance’s earlier comments, calling the comparison to indentured servants unwarranted and deeply offensive. New Delhi also objected to the freeze affecting green-card filings involving Indian IT companies including TCS and Infosys, saying the action did not align with the ambitions shared by India and the United States.
We believe that such descriptions are unwarranted and ignore the fact that Indian professionals in the United States are highly educated and skilled contributors to its economy and innovation ecosystem.
The response underscores the sensitivity surrounding Indian professionals in the US workforce. Many are employed in highly skilled fields and have built careers while navigating a lengthy immigration process. For India, their role in the American technology and innovation economy is an important part of the broader relationship between the two countries.
Vance’s latest remarks do not withdraw his criticism of corporate use of foreign labour, but they frame his position as a call for safeguards rather than a rejection of immigration itself. The challenge for the administration will be whether its policies can distinguish between abusive or unfair hiring practices and the legitimate recruitment of skilled professionals whose work supports US companies and the wider economy.
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