¶ JD Vance: Immigration Policy Extremist
¶ Highlights
- JD Vance called for deporting 20 million immigrants.
- JD Vance supported building the border wall and called for measures that militarized the border.
- Vance called for utilizing the military to attack immigrants and cartels.
- Vance introduced a bill to allow states to usurp federal border security directives and install razor wire at the border.
- JD Vance called for stricter immigration laws that severely restrict immigration.
- Vance co-sponsored legislation to severely limit birthright citizenship.
- Vance supported detaining immigrant families and opposed immigrant parole programs.
- JD Vance suggested that immigrants were violent and called for mandatory minimums for undocumented immigrants.
- JD Vance fiercely opposed amnesty and a pathway to citizenship for immigrants.
- JD Vance claimed that immigrants steal jobs.
- JD Vance was a strong advocate for mandatory E-Verify.
- JD Vance used derogatory language related to immigrants, calling them “dirty” and peddling “great replacement theory.”
- JD Vance spread the false racist claim that Haitian immigrants were eating pets.
- JD Vance blamed immigrants for various domestic issues.
- Vance claimed that immigrants strain the health care and education systems.
- Vance blamed immigrants for high housing costs.
- Vance blamed immigrants for high Covid-19 numbers.
- JD Vance opposed using H-1B visas despite investing in companies utilizing such visas.
- JD Vance opposed counting undocumented people in congressional representation and the Census.
- JD Vance criticized immigrants utilizing assistance programs.
- JD Vance supported the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas over border policies.
- JD Vance voted against legislation to address the border yet voted to shut down the government because of a lack of border legislation.
- JD Vance criticized Biden and Democrats on border policy.
- Vance repeatedly claimed Democrats and corporations were conspiring to allow unrestricted immigration for political donations and cheap labor.
¶ Vance Called For Deporting 20 Million Immigrants
VANCE CALLED FOR DEPORTING 20 MILLION UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE
Vance Called For Deporting 20 Million Undocumented People. According to the Atlantic, “To the extent that Vance’s onstage performance had a message beyond loyalty to Trump, it was a nationalist one: ‘We are for an American nation that is built by American people, that employs American workers,’ he said early on. But he went much further than that, such as when he blamed illegal immigrants for America’s rising housing costs. The solution, he said, is to ‘deport every single illegal alien who came to this country under Joe Biden’s regime.’ Yesterday on X, he doubled down: ‘Not having 20 million illegal aliens who need to be housed (often at public expense) will absolutely make housing more affordable for American citizens.’ At the People’s Convention, Vance confusingly referred to his own family as immigrants from Appalachian Kentucky to Ohio.” [Atlantic, 6/18/24]
¶ Vance Claimed It Was Not Racist To Want To Deport Undocumented Immigrants
Vance Said It Was Not Racist To Want To Deport Undocumented Immigrants. According to Breitbart, “Vance argued that Democrats’ strategy of attacking Americans who are worried about the tidal wave of migrants is a key reason many working middle-class voters are turning toward former President Donald Trump. ‘The thing that the Democrats have really doubled down on is this idea that if you want a border, if you don’t think you should have 20 million illegal aliens in this country, then you’re a racist,’ Vance told Breitbart News. ‘People just don’t buy it. They’re sick of being called dirty names because they just want to live in a safe and stable community.’” [Breitbart, 6/17/24]
¶ Vance Called For Making It Easier To Deport People
VIDEO: Vance Said, “We’ve Got To Make It Easier To Deport People In This Country.” According to a Toledo Town Hall via YouTube, “VANCE: We have got to stop letting it happen. And we cannot concede that it is compassionate to let this level of lawlessness flow across our southern border every day. Now, what do we do about it? The two big things: one is we have to do mandatory E-Verify in this country. Okay? We’ve got to build a wall, we've got to make sure not that many people come across illegally in the first place. But when they get here, we've got to make sure that that hotel CEO does not have a reason to hire illegal aliens instead of American workers. That means a lot of people will go back. And the second thing that we have to do - this is crazy - we've got to make it easier to deport people in this country.” [Toledo Town Hall via YouTube, 1/13/22]
¶ Vance Supported Trump Mass-Deportations
Vance Supported Trump Deportation Policies. According to the Los Angeles Times, “As Donald Trump campaigns on promises of mass deportations and pardons for those convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, his ideas are being met with little pushback and some enthusiasm by a new era of Republicans in Congress. […] ‘We’re going to have to deport some people,’ said Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, one of Trump’s biggest supporters, days after campaigning alongside Trump in his home state.” [Los Angeles Times, 3/30/24]
Vance Said That The President Had To Be Open To “Deporting Anyone Who Came To The Country Illegally.” According to the Los Angeles Times, “But with migrant crossings hitting record highs during Biden’s term, Rubio said, ‘Whether they’re deported through the hearings that they’re waiting for, they’re deported through some effort to expedite it, something’s going to have to happen. No one’s saying it would be easy, but something’s going to have to happen with all the people that have come here,’ he said. Added Vance: ‘I think you have to be open to deporting anyone who came to the country illegally.’” [Los Angeles Times, 3/30/24]
¶ Vance Supported Building The Border Wall And The Militarization Of The Border
¶ Vance Supported Building The Border Wall And Increasing The Number Of Border Agents
2021: Vance Said His First Order Of Business If Elected To The Senate Would Be To Double The Number Of U.S. Mexico Border Agents And Finish The Border Wall. According to Mansfield News Journal, “U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance said on Tuesday that his first order of business if elected would be to fight for legislation that would double the number of agents stationed at the U.S.-Mexico border and finish building a border wall. The former Marine and Iraq War veteran told Republicans at a local sports bar that the situation at the southern border has gotten so out of hand that the Marine Corps should be sent there. ‘The drug cartels that are there are some of the most vicious people in the world,’ Vance said. ‘We’re the greatest country in the world and we’re letting a bunch of criminal gangs use our southern border as their criminal base of operations? This is ridiculous.’” [Mansfield News Journal, 7/21/21]
Vance Said His Plan To Tackle Immigration Involved Building The Southern Border Wall And Hiring “Two Times More Border Patrol Agents.” According to the Bryan Times, “In response to a question, Vance, a Cincinnati-area resident who’s married and served as a Marine in Iraq, said his first order of business is to take on illegal immigration by committing to build a southern border wall. ‘Second, I’d hire two times more border patrol agents and third, reform the legal immigration system,’ he said, noting the current border situation is rife with drugs, crime and traffickers, which creates what he calls ‘a lawless society.”’ [Bryan Times, 10/4/21]
Vance Signed Onto A Letter Asking Secretary Mayorkas To Finish The Border Wall. According to the Denver Gazette, “In a letter initiated by Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), 15 GOP senators asked the Biden administration to finish the border wall along the southern border. The letter, addressed specifically to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, was dated Wednesday, roughly a day before the expected expiration of Title 42. The senators claim the Biden administration has ‘failed to acknowledge the crisis at our border,’ and they note how the administration has sent 1,500 active-duty troops to assist border officials ‘who are tasked with defending nearly 2,000 miles of border territory,’ according to the letter. […] Other senators who signed the letter include John Barrasso (R-WY), Ted Budd (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Hoeven (R-ND), James Lankford (R-OK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Jim Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), J.D. Vance (R-OH), and Todd Young (R-IN).” [Denver Gazette, 5/10/23]
¶ Vance Advocated For The Use Of Military Force To Expel Immigrants And Attack Cartels
In Response To Reports Of Migrants At The Southern Border, Vance Advocated Using The Military To Expel Them Tweeting, “Send In The Marines.” According to Vance via Twitter, “Send in the Marines.” [Vance via Twitter, 9/18/21]
Vance Supported Deploying The U.S. Military To Go After Drug Cartels. According to NBC News, “American presidents should have the power to deploy the U.S. military to pursue drug cartels in Latin America, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, said on NBC News' ‘Meet the Press’ in an interview that aired Sunday. ‘I want to empower the president of the United States, whether that’s a Democrat or Republican, to use the power of the U.S. military to go after these drug cartels,’ Vance told host Chuck Todd.” [NBC News, 7/2/24]
¶ Vance Supported Designating Drug Cartels As Terrorist Organizations
Vance Argued, “We Need To Declare The Mexican Drug Cartels A Terrorist Organization” And Claimed, “It Allows Our Military To Go To Mexico, To Go On Our Southern Border, And Actually Do Battle With Them.” According to the Ohio Capital Journal, ‘“We need to declare the Mexican drug cartels a terrorist organization because that’s exactly what they are,’ he argued on the debate stage. ‘It allows our military to go to Mexico, to go on our southern border, and actually do battle with them.’ It’s notable that Vance, who argues against involvement in Ukraine over concerns that U.S. soldiers could eventually be dragged into that conflict, readily suggests deploying troops in a different nation to pursue American interests. Speaking after the debate, he justified his position by arguing, ‘One of them very directly affects our vital national security interests, one of them kills our people, and the other doesn’t.’” [Ohio Capital Journal, 4/11/22]
¶ Designating Cartels As Terrorist Organizations Would Complicate Foreign Policy And Would Produce Little Benefits
Senior Fellow At The Brookings Institute, Felbab-Brown, Said That Designating Cartels As Terrorist Organizations Would Produce “Very Little To No New Additional Policy Tools” And Complicate Foreign Policy. According to the Ohio Capital Journal, “Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and director of its initiative on non-state armed actors, said Vance has put his finger on a useful lever, but his plan falls apart after that. She said designating cartels as terrorist organizations has been floated and rejected by both the Obama and Trump administrations. ‘The designation would really produce very little to no new additional policy tools,’ Felbab-Brown said. ‘But at the same time (it) would significantly complicate various dimensions of U.S. foreign policy.”’ [Ohio Capital Journal, 4/11/22]
¶ Vance Introduced A Bill To Allow States To Usurp Federal Border Security Directives And Install Razor Wire At The Border
Vance Introduced Legislation To Allow States To Enforce Stricter Border Security Measures Than The Federal Government, Specifically Authorizing Texas To Do So. According to Vance via Twitter, “The Supreme Court gave Joe Biden a green light to cut down barriers put in place by the State of Texas. My bill would codify the right of every state along the US-Mexico border to defend its own territory. If Joe Biden refuses take action, let the states get the job done.” [Vance via Twitter, 1/25/24]
- Vance’s Legislation Would Allow Texas To Reinstall Razor Wire Along That Border That Injured Migrants. According to the Associated Press, “A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed Border Patrol agents to resume cutting for now razor wire that Texas installed along a stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border that is at the center of an escalating standoff between the Biden administration and the state over immigration enforcement. The 5-4 vote clears the way for Border Patrol agents to cut or clear out concertina wire that Texas has put along the banks of the Rio Grande to deter migrants from entering the U.S. illegally. Some migrants have been injured by the sharp wire and the Justice Department has argued the barrier impedes the U.S. government’s ability to patrol the border, including coming to the aid of migrants in need of help.” [Associated Press, 1/22/24]
¶ Vance Called For Stricter Immigration Laws
¶ Vance Co-Sponsored Legislation To Limit Birthright Citizenship
Vance Co-Sponsored Legislation To Limit Birthright Citizenship. According to a press release from Senator Tom Cotton, “Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Constitutional Citizenship Clarification Act, legislation that would make law the Supreme Court’s ‘ambassadors and invaders’ exceptions to birthright citizenship. The bill would also make children of illegal immigrants, terrorists, and foreign spies ineligible for birthright citizenship. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) are co-sponsoring the legislation.” [Tom Cotton press release, 6/5/24]
¶ Vance Advocated For Legislation That Severely Limited Immigration Numbers
Vance Said He Wanted To “Reform” The Immigration System To Impose More Restrictive Limits On Legal Immigration To The United States. According to Vance’s website accessed via the Wayback Machine, “We also must reform our legal immigration system. In no other developed country do we allow migration primarily based on family relations rather than skills. Millions of people want to come here, and we should only allow them if they contribute something meaningful to our country. Importantly, our ability to assimilate immigrants successfully—something our country should be proud of—is contingent on American leadership that loves this country. Forty years ago, new American immigrants came to a country where bipartisan leaders delivered a simple message: this great country is now your own, and you have a duty to help build it. Today, those same leaders deliver a different message: this is an evil and racist country, and you owe nothing to it. Because of this, our capacity to assimilate the next generation of immigrants is limited, and our legal immigration system should account for this fact by changing who we let in and reducing the total numbers.” [Vance website via the Wayback Machine, 6/25/22]
Vance Approvingly Quote-Tweeted A Tweet Calling For Zero-Tolerance Border Policies, Saying “Amen To That.” According to Vance’s via Twitter, “Amen to that. Quote Tweet: @SpeakerJohnson - Any border ‘shutdown’ authority that ALLOWS even one illegal crossing is a non-starter. Thousands each day is outrageous. The number must be ZERO.” [Vance via Twitter, 1/29/24]
¶ Vance Supported Tom Cotton’s RAISE Act, Which Sought To Cut The Amount Of Legal Immigration To The United States In Half
Vance Tweeted Support For Tom Cotton’s RAISE Act. According to Vance via Twitter, “‘A big win for tech companies.’ Indeed. In the spirit of bipartisanship Biden should enact comprehensive immigration reform. Like @TomCottonAR ‘s RAISE Act.” [Vance via Twitter, 3/31/21]
Vance Advocated For “A Reform Of Our Legal System Along The Lines Of The RAISE Act.” According to Revolver News, “Combine the border wall funding with the elimination of welfare benefits for any illegal alien (it’s a major incentive for illegal crossings), a full scale effort against the Mexican Drug Cartels, and a reform of our legal immigration system along the lines of the RAISE Act, and you have ‘comprehensive immigration reform’ that’s worthy of the name.” [Revolver News, 3/25/22]
¶ The RAISE Act Sought To Cut The Legal Amount Of Immigration In Half By Eliminating Categories For Family-Sponsored Immigration
The RAISE Act Sought To Cut The Legal Amount Of Immigration To The United States In Half By Eliminating Many Categories For Family-Sponsored Immigration. According to the Migration Policy Institute, “Slightly more than 1 million immigrants are granted lawful permanent residence (informally known as getting a green card) annually; just over half are already in the United States and adjusting from temporary status. Family-based immigration comprises about two-thirds of the annual total. The RAISE Act seeks to halve this 1 million by eliminating many current categories for family-sponsored immigration.” [Migration Policy Institute, 8/1/17]
¶ Vance Introduced Legislation To Restrict Sanctuary Cities
Vance Was Expected To Introduce The “No Community Development Block Grants For Sanctuary Cities Act.” According to Fox News, “Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, is introducing legislation Tuesday to ban sanctuary cities from receiving federal housing grants. The legislation, named the ‘No Community Development Block Grants for Sanctuary Cities Act,’ would amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to prevent sanctuary jurisdictions from becoming grantees for Community Development Block Grants.” [Fox News, 3/12/24]
The “No Community Development Block Grants for Sanctuary Cities Act” Was Introduced In The Committee On Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs On March 12, 2024. According to Congress’ legislation tracker, “S.3915 - No Community Development Block Grants for Sanctuary Cities Act. 03/12/2024. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Action By: Senate” [Congressional legislation tracker, accessed 7/24/24]
¶ Vance Supported Stricter Detention Policies For Immigrants
Vance Supported Detaining Undocumented Families In Detention Centers. According to Vance via Twitter, in response to a headline that Biden planned to “stop holding undocumented families in detention centers” Vance tweeted, “We’re not even pretending to have a border anymore.” [Vance via Twitter, 12/16/21]
Vance Opposed The Usage Of Immigrant Parole Programs. According to a Senator Vance press release, “Today, Senator JD Vance (R-OH) and Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) sent a bicameral letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas demanding the Department explain its reckless decision to radically expand immigration parole programs in the midst of an historic border crisis. ‘Since the day they took office, President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas have purposefully and maliciously eroded our nation’s border security. They have presided over the worst border crisis we’ve seen in decades and more illegal immigration than any administration in recent history. Now, they aim to sidestep Congress and the law by granting parole to hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants. This is a massive gift to the drug cartels and human traffickers that are killing Americans by the day and wreaking havoc on our country,’ said Senator JD Vance (R-OH).” [Senator Vance press release, 1/18/23]
¶ Vance Supported Legislation That Required Familial DNA Testing Of Immigrants
Vance Supported Legislation That Required Familial DNA Testing Of Immigrants. According to a press release from Senator Blackburn, “U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) today re-introduced the End Child Trafficking Now Act, which would require a DNA test to determine the relationship between illegal immigrants coming across the border and any accompanying children. This comes as the Biden administration reportedly ended all DNA familial testing at the border last week on May 31, 2023. Senator Blackburn was joined by Senators Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and John Hoeven (R-N.D.). Representative Lance Gooden (R-Texas) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.” [Senator Blackburn press release, 6/7/23]
¶ Vance Suggested That Immigrants Were Violent And Called For Mandatory Minimums For Undocumented Immigrants
¶ Vance Suggested That Immigrants Were Violent
Vance Shared The Story Of An Undocumented Immigrant Accused Of Violent Crimes In Ohio. According to Vance via Twitter, “I was in Hamilton a few days ago visiting a relative. It's 15 miles from where I grew up. An illegal alien, deported seven times, murdered someone. He should have never been in our country to begin with.” [Vance via Twitter, 4/6/24]
Vance Talked About An Undocumented Migrant Who Later Committed Murder And Blamed “Biden’s Open Border.” According to Vance via Twitter, “An illegal immigrant, previously deported under Trump, came back into our country under Biden's open border and murdered an innocent person. What a shameful argument, made by people who want to cover for Biden's disastrous policies instead of reporting on them. Quote Tweet - @ChadLivengood: In Grand Rapids, Republicans have found the migrant crime they were seeking to use for an election message to ‘security moms’ My column in today’s @detroitnews:” [Vance via Twitter, 4/2/24]
Vance Said That “Unchecked Migration” Means Drugs, Violence, And Lower Wages In Communities. According to Vance via Twitter, “This is gross. For these ‘journalists’ unchecked migration means cheaper servants. For most Americans, it means fentanyl in your communities, lower wages, and stressed public services. It means Laken Riley should be alive but isn’t. #SayHerName.” [Vance via Twitter, 3/6/24]
¶ Vance Pushed For The Passage Of Legislation To Impose Mandatory Minimums For Undocumented Migrants
Vance Called For More Advanced Measures Against Undocumented Migrants After The Death Of A Student In Georgia. According to the New York Post, “Sen. J.D. Vance is pushing legislation targeting violent illegal immigrants after a Venezuelan migrant was charged this week with the shocking murder of a Georgia nursing student. ‘Given the brutal murder of Laken Riley at the hands of an illegal immigrant, it’s vital that the Senate pass Kate’s Law, as well as additional measures that make it easier to deport violent illegals and harder for them to come into our country and commit violent crimes,’ Vance told The Post.” [New York Post, 2/27/24]
Vance Called For The Passage Of “Kate’s Law,” Which Would Impose Mandatory Minimums On Undocumented Migrants. According to the New York Post, “The Senate bill, co-sponsored by the Ohio Republican and introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), is named for Kate Steinle, a 32-year-old San Francisco woman who was shot and killed in 2015 by a Mexican national who had previously been deported five times. The law imposes mandatory minimum prison sentences of five years on foreign nationals with aggravated felony convictions or more than one conviction who illegally re-enter the US after being deported.” [New York Post, 2/27/24]
¶ Vance Fiercely Opposed Amnesty And A Pathway To Citizenship For Immigrants
¶ Vance Fiercely Opposed Giving Undocumented Immigrants A Pathway To Citizenship
Vance Called The Decision By The Senate Parliamentarian Not To Allow A Pathway To Citizenship For Undocumented Immigrants To Be Included In The Reconciliation Package “Very Good News.” According to Vance via Twitter, “Very good news. Quote Tweet: @marianne_levine – ‘News: The Senate parliamentarian has come down and it likely shuts down including a pathway to citizenship in reconciliation.’” [Vance via Twitter, 9/19/21]
¶ Vance Opposed Amnesty For Undocumented Immigrants
Vance Said That Providing Amnesty To Immigrants “Destroys Our Law Abiding Culture.” According to Vance via Twitter, “The White House says giving amnesty to millions of illegal aliens will raise GDP. This is a lie but even if true it doesn’t matter. We’re not just an economy. We’re a nation of citizens who follow laws. Who cares if something grows GDP but destroys our law abiding culture?” [Vance via Twitter, 9/17/21]
AUDIO: Vance Described “Amnesty In Any Form” As A “Terrible Idea For The Country,” Citing A Supposed Incentive For Undocumented Immigration. According to Breitbart via SoundCloud,“HOST: Give me your thoughts on the amnesty proposals that are lightly being peddled around town by Rick Scott in particular, but Lindsey Graham seems like he's sort of interested. I'm wondering, is this a troll? Is something they're trying to see how hard people like Breitbart are going to push back on the stuff? What do you think is actually going on here? Or is it just a donor thing? VANCE: Yeah, I mean, I do think unfortunately part of is a donor thing. They have people in their ears who give a lot of money who want cheap labor and want a lot of illegal immigration. And unfortunately, you know, you guys have to push back against that because if you don't a lot of people won't and a lot of people won't hear the other side. You know, I think what, what's so tough about this, of course, is that when you dangle the promise of amnesty, it invites millions of other people to come. It's one thing to give amnesty to a million people. That's very bad idea, but that's 1 million people. The bigger problem is that it means 10, 15, 20 million people who might not have made the journey across Central America are now going to do it knowing that if they make it across, they're going to get this promise with amnesty. So the incentive is just a terrible, terrible thing. And, you know, I hope that Republican legislators are just trolling. I hope that what they're trying to do is sort of maybe offer a moderate alternative to the left that they're not really serious about. But amnesty in any form right now is just a terrible idea for the country.” [Breitbart via Soundcloud, 3/19/21]
¶ Vance Claimed That Immigrants Steal Jobs
¶ Vance Claimed That ImmigranTS rUINED aMERICAN jOB pROSPECTS
Vance Claimed That Immigrants Were “Crushing The Job Prospects Of Our Citizens.” According to the Springfield News-Sun, “U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, blamed Biden, saying his immigration policies are overwhelming communities like Springfield. ‘This self-imposed disaster is crushing the job prospects of our citizens, making it more difficult for Ohio families to find homes and draining social service programs funded by American taxpayers.’ Vance said. ‘People who are here illegally should be sent back to their home countries as soon as possible, and individuals here on temporary status should not expect to stay indefinitely.’” [Springfield News-Sun, 10/8/23]
¶ Vance’s Falsely Claimed That New Job Growth Was Going To Undocumented Immigrants
Vance Indicted Undocumented Immigrants In Labor Statistics That Show That Job Growth Was Going To Foreign-Born And Blamed The Biden Administration. According to the Washington Post, “Instead, Vance claimed Sunday, it’s heavily attributable to illegal immigration. ‘If you look not just over the last year but over the last three or four years, much of the job growth from the Biden administration has gone to the foreign-born,’ Vance said while appearing on Fox News’s ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’ ‘And many of those, of course, are illegal aliens.’” [Washington Post, 4/8/24]
¶ Fact Check: Vance’s Statistic Was Related To All Immigrants, Not Only Undocumented Workers, And Reflected Expected Demographic Trends
Fact Check: The Statistic Vance Cited Reflect Expected Demographic Trends That Show That Foreign Workers Make Up More Of The Population At Large. According to the Washington Post, “To an extent, though, this was a reversion of an existing pattern. The density of native-born Americans in the workforce — like the density of native-born Americans in the population — has trended down since 2010. The unrevised employment data for March are generally in line with where we’d expect them to be, based on the trend from 2011 to the beginning of 2020.” [Washington Post, 4/8/24]
Fact Check: More Than Half Of The Foreign-Born Population Were Naturalized Citizens And The Majority Of The Foreign-Born Population Arrived In The U.S. Before The Biden Administration. According to the Washington Post, “We must also note that Vance’s representation that these workers are in the country illegally is dubious — particularly when considering the intended implication that they arrived under Biden. Census Bureau data show that two-thirds of the foreign-born residents in the United States last year arrived before 2010. More than half were naturalized citizens.” [Washington Post, 4/8/24]
¶ Vance Sent A Letter To The Department Of Justice Criticizing Companies For Hiring Immigrants
Vance Sent A Letter To The Department Of Justice Insinuating That Companies Were Not Prioritizing American Citizens Over Migrants In Hiring Decisions. According to Fox News, “Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, is demanding answers from the Department of Justice about companies allegedly prioritizing hiring migrant workers over U.S. citizens, despite federal law requiring them to do the opposite. In a letter to Kristen Clarke, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, and Alberto Ruisanchez, the Chief of the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER), Vance expressed his concerns as to whether the DOJ ‘is faithfully carrying out its statutory duty to protect American workers from employment practices that privilege asylum seekers, parolees, and other aliens over American citizens.’” [Fox News, 5/1/24]
Vance Alleged That The DOJ Was Only Protecting Non-Citizens Against Discrimination Amid Supposed Increasing Discrimination Against U.S. Citizens. According to Fox News, “Vance noted that the DOJ's IER has appeared to spend more time focused on enforcing anti-discrimination provisions for non-citizens and ensuring their protection in the hiring process than it has for U.S. citizens. He cited the number of press releases on anti-discrimination from IER over a two-year span and how many of them were addressing the rights of citizens, non-citizens, or both. He said the disparity ‘might be defensible if discriminatory employers rarely favored aliens, or if the problem of discrimination against U.S. citizens were receding, but instead discrimination against U.S. citizens is increasingly commonplace.’” [Fox News, 5/1/24]
Vance Pointed To Several Companies That Allegedly Set Quotas For Hiring Refugees. According to WKBN, “Vance named several brands such as Starbucks, Amazon, PepsiCo and Pfizer who have committed to or set quotas on hiring refugees. He said that the INA prohibits hiring decisions that are made ‘because of’ an American job seeker’s U.S. citizenship and questions whether the hiring quotas can ‘coexist with that mandate?’” [WKBN, 5/1/24]
¶ Vance Advocated For E-Verify Requirements
VANCE WAS A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR MANDATORY E-VERIFY
VIDEO: Vance Said, “We Have To Do Mandatory E-Verify In This Country.” According to a Toledo Town Hall via YouTube, “VANCE: We have got to stop letting it happen. And we cannot concede that it is compassionate to let this level of lawlessness flow across our southern border every day. Now, what do we do about it? The two big things: one is we have to do mandatory E-Verify in this country. Okay? We’ve got to build a wall, we've got to make sure not that many people come across illegally in the first place. But when they get here, we've got to make sure that that hotel CEO does not have a reason to hire illegal aliens instead of American workers. That means a lot of people will go back. And the second thing that we have to do - this is crazy - we've got to make it easier to deport people in this country.” [Toledo Town Hall via YouTube, 1/13/22]
Vance Said That That E-Verify “Maybe The Single Most Important Immigration Issue.” According to Vance via Twitter, “E Verify maybe the single most important immigration issue. Also tells you who’s willing to buck the chamber of commerce to serve our citizens.” [Vance via Twitter, 1/10/22]
Vance Praised Ohio Legislators For Mandating E-Verify In The State. According to Vance via Twitter, “Great job to the Ohio House! Quote Tweet - @Scott_Wiggam: Breaking News: Ohio House passes E-verify law with an overwhelming majority. E- Verify has shown to reduce illegal immigration in states that adopt it.” [Vance via Twitter, 6/12/24]
¶ Mandatory E-Verify Would Harm Ordinary People And Cause Major Privacy Concerns
Mandatory E-Verify Would Harm Ordinary People. According to the ACLU, “Perhaps the most significant problem with requiring the entire nation to obtain permission from the government when starting a job is that the government is going to make a lot of mistakes that affect innocent people. And when a bureaucratic error can prevent a person from making a living, that is an enormous problem and should not be treated lightly. […] Recent government reports make it clear that the government’s databases contain huge numbers of errors. Citizenship and Immigration Services reports that in fiscal year 2012, about 1 of every 400 cases submitted to E-Verify resulted in a TNC determination that was subsequently reversed after appeal by the worker.” [ACLU, 5/3/13]
Mandatory E-Verify Would Create Huge Privacy And Security Risks. According to the ACLU, “A nationwide mandatory E-Verify will create new privacy and security risks for Americans. The current E-Verify system, implemented in a small fraction of the country’s workplaces, contains an enormous amount of personal information, including: names, social security numbers, phone numbers, email addresses, workers’ employers and industry, immigration information like country of birth, photographs in some cases. There are several problems with setting the gears in motion for the creation of such a large-scale repository of private information on Americans’ lives. First, the data in E-Verify, especially if combined with other databases, would be a gold mine for intelligence agencies, law enforcement, licensing boards, and anyone who wanted to use this vast trove of detailed information for other purposes. […] Second, this kind of data ‘honey pot’ will inevitably attract identity thieves. A December 2010 GAO Report on E-Verify repeatedly references the risk of identity theft associated with the system. Unfortunately, the government’s record at securing citizens’ private information is very poor, and there are many unanswered questions about E-Verify’s security.” [ACLU, 5/3/13]
¶ Vance Was Expected To Introduce Legislation Preventing Colleges From Hiring Undocumented Students By Requiring Them To Use E-Verify
Vance Was Expected To Introduce Legislation That Would Ban Universities From Hiring Undocumented Students And Require Them To Use E-Verify. According to the Washington Free Beacon, “Sen. J.D. Vance (R., Ohio) and Rep. Jim Banks (R., Ind.) on Tuesday will introduce legislation that would condition a school's eligibility for federal funds on compliance with federal law prohibiting businesses from employing illegal immigrants. The bill, which was exclusively provided to the Free Beacon, would also require all federally funded higher education institutions implement E-Verify, a federal program that checks the immigration status of all employees.” [Washington Free Beacon, 3/19/24]
The Legislation Was A Reaction To The University Of California’s Announcement That Undocumented Students Would Be Allowed To Be Employed On Campuses. According to the Washington Free Beacon, “Sen. J.D. Vance (R., Ohio) and Rep. Jim Banks (R., Ind.) on Tuesday will introduce legislation that would condition a school's eligibility for federal funds on compliance with federal law prohibiting businesses from employing illegal immigrants. The bill, which was exclusively provided to the Free Beacon, would also require all federally funded higher education institutions implement E-Verify, a federal program that checks the immigration status of all employees.” [Washington Free Beacon, 3/19/24]
Vance Said That Allowing Undocumented Students To Work Would Turn Universities Into Sanctuary Cities. According to the Washington Free Beacon, “Vance and Banks drafted the legislation in response to the University of California's announcement that it would allow illegal alien students to work on campus. The university paused the proposal after private pushback from the Biden administration, Politico reported. ‘Left-wing college administrators want to transform their campuses into sanctuary cities,’ Vance told the Free Beacon. ‘Their latest scheme at the University of California is the most lawless yet: ignore federal law and hire illegal immigrants. We cannot let American tax dollars fund illegal wages.’” [Washington Free Beacon, 3/19/24]
¶ Vance’s Bill Was Introduced In The Senate On March 19, 2024
Vance’s Bill Entitled The “College Employment Accountability Act” Was Referred To The Committee On Health, Education, Labor, And Pensions On March 19, 2024. According to Congress’ legislation tracker, “S.3978 - College Employment Accountability Act. 03/19/2024 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Action By: Senate” [Congressional Legislation Tracker, accessed 7/24/24]
¶ Vance Used Offensive Language About Immigrants
¶ Vance Peddled “Great Replacement Theory” In His Border Rhetoric
Vance Argued That Immigrants Were “Pouring Into This Country” And Peddled “Great Replacement Theory” Rhetoric. According to the New York Times, “In one of his first campaign ads, he bluntly played to white grievance, looking at the camera and asking voters a question: ‘Are you a racist?’ He argued in the ad that Democratic voters were ‘pouring into this country’ through unchecked borders, echoing the ‘great replacement theory,’ the far-right notion that undocumented immigrants are coming to America to usurp the political power of native-born white voters.” [New York Times, 2/27/23]
- National Immigration Forum: “Great Replacement Theory” Holds That Immigrants In Society Are Part Of A Conspiracy To “Replace” The Political And Cultural Power Of White People In Society And Often Utilizes The “Rhetoric Of Invasion.” According to the National Immigration Forum, “The “great replacement” theory, in simple terms, states that welcoming immigration policies — particularly those impacting nonwhite immigrants — are part of a plot designed to undermine or ‘replace’ the political power and culture of white people living in Western countries. Multiple iterations of the ‘great replacement’ theory have been and continue to be used by antiimmigrant groups, white supremacists, and others. Prominent iterations include: Rhetoric of invasion: The theory often uses martial and violent rhetoric of a migrant ‘invasion’ that must be stopped before it ‘conquers’ ‘white America.’” [American Immigration Forum, accessed 7/24/24]
Vance Claimed That It Was “Objectively And Obviously True” That Immigrants Were “Poisoning The Blood Of The Country.” According to the New York Times, “Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio said it was ‘objectively and obviously true’ that ‘illegal immigrants were poisoning the blood of the country.’ He also scolded the reporter who asked him about Mr. Trump’s remarks, accusing her of using Mr. Trump’s words to try to ‘narrow the limits of debate on immigration in this country.’” [New York Times, 12/19/23]
¶ Vance Called Immigrants “Dirty” And Refused To Apologize When Confronted About His Offensive Language
Vance Described Immigrants As “Dirty,” Echoing Language From Tucker Carlson, At A Candidate Forum. According to Cleveland.com, “As a Republican U.S. Senate hopeful though, Vance has made it a central theme of his young campaign to complain that using certain words or talking about specific issues can cause elites to label ‘normal people’ racist. He’s also begun using harsh, racially loaded rhetoric. One example: at a candidate forum in Chagrin Falls on Sunday, Vance repeatedly used the phrase ‘dirty,’ to describe the effects of illegal immigration and drug trafficking from the southern U.S. border. Describing immigrants as dirty or unhealthy is a long-time disparaging stereotype. Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has praised Vance and repeatedly interviewed him on his show, prompted a backlash in late 2018 after describing an influx of immigrants as leaving the country ‘poorer and dirtier.’ Vance used almost identical language in his speech on Sunday. ‘But if you dare complain about this problem,’ Vance said on Sunday. ‘… What they do is call you names,’ like racist or xenophobic.” [Cleveland.com, 7/18/21]
- Vance’s Campaign Refused To Apologize Following Criticism Of His Rhetoric. According to Cleveland.com, “Asked about his shifting rhetoric on race, including his choice to use the word ‘dirty’ to describe immigration, the Vance campaign issued a statement for this story that attacked the media instead of addressing the topic. ‘The establishment media loves to inject race into every conversation, but voters aren’t dumb, and that’s exactly why poll after poll shows trust in the media is at a record low,’ said a campaign spokeswoman, Taylor Jach. ‘The drug epidemic is a scourge on families across Ohio and the rest of the nation. J.D. isn’t going to apologize for wanting our communities to be safe and clean, no matter how many left-wing journalists decide to feign outrage and cry over it.’” [Cleveland.com, 7/18/21]
¶ Vance Spread The False Racist Claim That Haitian Immigrants In Springfield, Ohio Were Eating Pets
¶ Vance Spread The False Racist Claim That Haitian Immigrants Are Eating Pets
Vance Spread A False Racist Claim That Haitian Immigrants Are Eating Pets. According to Vox, “One of the most high-profile spreaders of this strange claim is JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee. On Monday morning, Vance posted on X the false claim that ‘reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.’ In the same tweet, he claimed that ‘Haitian illegal immigrants’ are ‘causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio.’ For the record, there is no evidence that any Haitian immigrant ate a cat in Springfield, Ohio, or anywhere else in the United States, for that matter. But the lack of factual evidence hasn’t stopped the GOP from pushing the nativist narrative, which seems designed to play off bigotry and suspicion against the mostly Black population of Haitian immigrants.” [Vox, 9/9/24]
The Same Day That Vance First Amplified Baseless Claims Of Haitian Immigrants Eating Pets, The City Manager Of Springfield, Ohio, Told His Office That They Were False. According to Axios, “Backed into a corner over his baseless claims of Haitian pet-eating in Ohio, Sen. JD Vance is taking a page from Donald Trump's playbook: Never back down, never admit fault and never apologize. Why it matters: New reporting from The Wall Street Journal reveals that on Sept. 9, the same day that Vance first amplified the right-wing rumors, the city manager of Springfield, Ohio, told his office that they were false. That didn't stop Vance from repeatedly promoting the smears, which exploded onto national headlines a day later when Trump claimed on the debate stage that immigrants were ‘eating the pet’ in Springfield. A week later, Vance continues to double and triple down on the debunked claims — casting it as a strategy to force the national media to cover the growing pains associated with the influx of Haitian migrants.” [Axios, 9/18/24]
¶ Vance Defended His Falsehoods, Admitting That He Had To “Create Stories”
Vance Suggested That He Had To “Create Stories” About Haitian Immigrants Eating Pets To Get People To Pay Attention. According to CNN, “Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance on Sunday reiterated false claims about Haitian immigrants eating the pets of residents in Springfield, Ohio. Asked to support his claims in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on ‘State of the Union,’ Vance pointed to what he said are firsthand accounts from constituents who have told him this is happening, though he didn’t provide the evidence. ‘The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes. If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do,’ the Ohio senator said. Bash replied, ‘You just said that this is a story that you created.’” [CNN, 9/15/24]
¶ A Haitian Group Sought Charges Against Vance Over False Springfield Claims
A Haitian Group Sought Charges Against Vance Over False Springfield Claims. According to NPR, “The leader of a nonprofit representing the Haitian community invoked a private-citizen right to file charges Tuesday against former President Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, over the chaos and threats experienced by Springfield, Ohio, since Trump first spread false claims about legal immigrants there during a presidential debate. The Haitian Bridge Alliance made the move after inaction by the local prosecutor, said their attorney, Subodh Chandra of the Cleveland-based Chandra Law Firm. Charges brought by private citizens are rare, but not unheard of, in Ohio. Examples might be a grocery store charging a customer for a bounced check. State law requires a hearing to take place before the affidavit can move forward. As of Tuesday afternoon, none had been scheduled.” [NPR, 9/25/24]
¶ Vance Blamed Immigrants For Various Domestic Issues
¶ Vance Claimed That Immigrants Strain Resources
Vance Claimed That Smaller Towns Have Seen A Strain On Resources As A Result Of Immigration. According to a Senator Vance press release, ““A letter for the record from the City of Springfield in our state, the southwestern part of our state, which I think highlights a very real example of this particular concern, straight from the horse’s mouth itself. This letter, I want to quote from it: ‘Springfield has seen a surge in population through immigration that has significantly impacted our ability as a community to produce enough housing opportunities for all. Springfield’s Haitian population has increased 15 to 20,000 over the last four years in a community of under 60,000 previous residents, putting a significant strain on our resources and ability to provide ample housing for all of our residents.’ End quote there. In my conversations with folks in Springfield, it’s not just housing. They’re trying to build 5000 new housing units, which is a very Herculean task in a town of about 55,000 people, but it’s also hospital services, it’s school services. There are a whole host of ways in which this immigration problem, I think, is having very real human consequences.” [Senator Vance Press Release, 7/9/24]
Vance Claimed That The U.S. Has Taken In “Too Many, Too Quickly” And Blamed Immigrants For Societal Decay. According to Vance via Twitter, “This is 100 times more important than any foreign, tax, or economic policy. The country has simply taken in too many, too quickly, and unless we fix it the United States won't exist. It's the single most important reason to elect Donald Trump.” [Vance via Twitter, 5/16/24]
¶ Vance Blamed Immigrants For Strain On The Health Care System
Vance Blamed Immigrants For Wait Times At Hospitals. According to Breitbart, “’Also, on the immigration issue, there are some sleeper elements to this that people don’t appreciate,’ Vance said. ‘I think Trump sort of gets it in an instinctual way, but most political consultants don’t.’ ‘Hospital wait times have gone through the roof. Why have they gone through the roof? Because illegal immigrants primarily use emergency rooms in hospitals to get access to hospital services. That’s not okay,’ the Ohioan explained.” [Breitbart, 6/17/24]
Vance Said That Migrants Were To Blame For Overcrowding At Hospitals. According to Vance via Twitter, “One of the most consistent gripes I hear from constituents about the border (even more than fentanyl and crime) is overcrowding at hospitals. Try to take your kid to an emergency room. How are wait times? I bet they're higher, and for that, you can thank Biden's open border.” [Vance via Twitter, 5/16/24]
¶ Vance Blamed Immigrants For Strains On The Education System
Vance Blamed Immigrants For Strains On The Education System. According to Breitbart, “Vance then pivoted to the U.S.’s overburdened system of education. ‘Schools, right? I talk to people in rural school districts all the time where they’re dealing with kids who are struggling in various ways: their parents lost a job, you’ve got the drug epidemic, and then, all of a sudden, eight illegal immigrants show up in their community,’ the senator continued. ‘Nobody speaks Spanish in their school, the illegal aliens don’t speak English, and now they have to figure out how to give those kids a good education at the same time while they’re servicing a lot of kids who are already struggling who have the legal right to be here. So this is just crazy.’” [Breitbart, 6/17/24]
¶ Vance Blamed Immigrants For Housing Costs
Vance Blamed Undocumented People For Housing Costs. According to Vance via Twitter, “Not having 20 million illegal aliens who need to be housed (often at public expense) will absolutely make housing more affordable for American citizens. But I see the left’s strategy of making fun of people for suffering under Biden policies continues apace.” [Vance via Twitter, 6/17/24]
Vance Blamed Immigrants For Housing Costs. According to Breitbart, “Vance concluded his discussion of the effects of immigration by focusing on the skyrocketing costs of rent and mortgages, a problem driving many Americans out of being able to own a home. ‘There are all of these ways in which the immigration problem is putting stresses on, and the final thing I’d say here is if you can’t afford a home because home prices are through the roof, you can thank the fact that Biden has let in 20 million people who are competing with you for residences and houses,’ Vance concluded. ‘That puts upward pressure on all the stuff middle-class people need, and houses are at the very top.’” [Breitbart, 6/17/24]
Vance Said That Migrants Were The Reason People Could Not Afford Homes. According to Vance via Twitter, “For years, we've been treated to arguments that mass migration makes us all richer. Now the data has come in, and it's clear we were lied to again. It's true in England, and it's true in the United States. If you can't afford a home, thank open borders.” [Vance via Twitter, 5/16/24]
¶ Vance’s Assertion Was Not Supported By The Data As Many Other Factors Have Impacted Housing Costs
Undocumented Immigrants Live In Owner-Occupied Homes At A Lower Rate Than Non-Immigrants And Not All Of These Immigrants Arrived During Recent Housing Cost Increases. According to the National Review, “As far as his point about illegal immigration, whatever criticisms one has about lax border policies, the idea that this has been a measurable driver of higher housing prices is not supported by the data. About 223 million Americans live in homes that are owned, but only 3 million illegal immigrants are estimated to live in owner-occupied homes — and not all of them arrived at the same time.” [National Review, 7/18/24]
The Size Of Houses Has Played A Role In The Higher Cost Of Home Ownership. According to the National Review, “Houses have also gotten much bigger over time. In 1973, the median square footage of a home was 1,525, but by 2017, it had risen to 2,426. There are different reasons for the growth in the size of houses — consumer tastes and prosperity, as well as certain efficiencies in building fewer large houses rather than more smaller houses. It’s fair to acknowledge that to the young family looking for a starter home who would be content with less space, it’s frustrating not to have more options. But it’s a simple fact that larger houses cost more, and that’s a big factor in driving up prices.” [National Review, 7/18/24]
There Were Many Other Considerations Driving Up Housing Costs, Including Covid-19 Supply Chain Costs And High Competition For Houses Post-Lockdown. According to the National Review, “Adding to all of these broader considerations are the more acute ones that drove up housing prices during the pandemic. New housing construction crashed as a result of the lockdowns and the supply-chain shock. Meanwhile, driven by historically low interest rates and the desire for more space (especially from those who became permanently work-from-home) there was more competition for houses. Once interest rates rose, homeowners who had locked in low interest rates were more reluctant to sell, which has limited the available inventory, and thus housing prices have not collapsed in response to the higher borrowing costs.” [National Review, 7/18/24]
¶ Vance Falsely Claimed That Immigration Caused A Rise In COVID-19 Cases
Vance Said That U.S Children Should Not Have To Mask Because Covid-19 At The Border Was Uncontrolled. According to Vance via Twitter, “I don't know why we should mask our children under any circumstance, but especially not when Biden/Harris refuse to control COVID at our border.” [Vance via Twitter, 8/9/21]
Vance Claimed That There Were “Thousands Of Untested, Unvaxxed Aliens Walking Across Our Southern Border Each Day.” According to Vance via Twitter, “Remember as our geriatric tyrant goes off on his fellow citizens that there are thousands of untested, unvaxxed aliens walking across our southern border each day.” [Vance via Twitter, 9/9/21]
Vance Blamed “Letting In Hundreds Of Thousands Of Untested People” For High Covid-19 Rates In Border States. According to Vance via Twitter, “Interesting that our border states have higher vaccination levels but also higher hospitalization rates than the rest of the country. It’s almost like letting in hundreds of thousands of untested people is bad for your own citizens.” [Vance via Twitter, 11/9/21]
¶ Fact Check: Vance’s Claim That Undocumented Immigrants Caused Covid-19 Spikes Lacked Evidence
Fact Check: Public Health Experts Say There Was “No Evidence” That Migrants Caused Covid Spike In The South, Instead Pointing To The Delta Variant And Low Vaccination Rates. According to CNN, “Facts First: Public health experts dispute the notion that migrants entering the southern border are largely responsible for exploding Covid cases across a large swath of the country. Instead, experts point to the more transmissible Delta variant and relatively low vaccination rates as primary causes of this latest wave. […] ‘To my knowledge there is no evidence that migrants are to blame for the spike in Florida or other southern states,’ Aubree Gordon, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan, told CNN. ‘We’re having significant increases in transmission across many states likely due to the Delta variant.’ Regarding the surge, current US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy echoed concerns about the Delta variant, saying near the end of July that ‘The thing that’s making this possible is the fact that we are dealing with the most transmissible version of Covid-19 that we’ve seen to date.’” [CNN, 8/10/21]
¶ Vance Opposed Using H-1B Visas Despite Investing In Companies Utilizing Such Visas
VANCE OPPOSED H1-B VISAS BUT THIRTY-EIGHT COMPANIES VANCE WAS INVESTED IN, INCLUDING ONE WHICH HE SAT ON THE BOARD OF, MADE USE OF H1-B VISAS
Vance Called H1-B Visas “An Unholy Alliance Between Government And Our Biggest Corporations.” According to Axios, “At a campaign stop in Dayton, Ohio in January, Vance called the H-1B visa ‘an unholy alliance between government and our biggest corporations.’” [Axios, 4/22/22]
Axios: “J.D. Vance’s Investments Made Use Of H-1B Visas He Opposes” [Axios, 4/22/22]
Vance Had Publicly Spoke Out Against H-1B Visas As A Senate Candidate, But Vance Was Invested In 38 Companies That Applied For H-1B Visas, Including At Least One That Vance Sat On The Board Of Until 2017. According to Axios, “J.D. Vance has spoken out strongly against H-1B visas as a Senate candidate in Ohio, but his history as a venture capitalist tells a different story. Around three dozen companies in which Vance-affiliated funds invested, and in which he still has economic interests, have applied for the visas, which often are used by American tech companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers. […] Vance, who got his start in venture capital with Peter Thiel, in 2017 joined Steve Case's Revolution to invest in Midwestern startups. Two years later he left Revolution to co-found his own firm in Ohio, called Narya. What we're watching: Thirty-eight companies that received investment from Revolution's first Rise of the Rest fund and/or Narya have applied for H-1B visas, according to Senate financial disclosures and the Department of Homeland Security database. Among them: StockX, a Detroit-based online sneaker marketplace, filed 31 petitions for H1-B visas between 2019 and 2022, for both initial and continuing employment. FiscalNote, which owns CQ Roll Call, filed 15 petitions between 2015 and 2021. AppHarvest, an indoor tomato grower in Kentucky that's now publicly traded, filed five petitions in 2021 and 2022. Vance was on AppHarvest's board of directors until April 2021.” [Axios, 4/22/22]
¶ Vance Opposed Counting Undocumented People In Congressional Representation And The Census
¶ Vance Criticized Democrats For Voting To Count Undocumented People In Congressional Representation
Vance Called Democrats Voting To Ensure Undocumented People Have Congressional Representation A “Disgrace.” According to Vance via Twitter, “Kudos to Bill Hagerty for forcing a vote on this amendment. Last night every single Democrat voted to ensure illegal aliens continue to receive congressional representation. It's a disgrace, especially after Biden decided to flood the country with 10 million illegals.” [Vance via Twitter, 3/9/24]
Vance Claimed That Counting Undocumented People In The Census Was, “Stealing The Right To Vote Away From American Citizens.” According to Vance via Twitter, “This is worth emphasizing. Illegal immigration is stealing the right to vote away from American citizens. It devalues your vote by devaluing your congressional representation. Quote Tweet - @elonmusk: Most Americans are still unaware that the census counts ALL people, including illegal immigrants, for deciding how many House seats each state gets! This results in Dem states getting roughly 20 more House seats, which is another strong incentive for them not to deport illegals.” [Vance via Twitter, 3/7/24]
¶ Vance Criticized Immigrants Utilizing Assistance Programs
¶ Vance Criticized The Biden Administration For Allowing Health Care Coverage For DACA Recipients, Introducing The “No Obamacare For Illegal Aliens Act”
Vance Said That The Decision To Allow DACA Recipients To Receive Health Care Through Affordable Care Act Exchanges Was A “Slap In The Face” To American Citizens. According to the Daily Caller, “Republicans in Congress are slamming the Biden Administration after news broke Friday that they will provide taxpayer-funded healthcare through Obamacare exchanges to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. In exclusive comments to the Daily Caller, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley and Oklahoma Rep. Josh Brecheen criticized the decision, saying it is unfair to U.S. citizens. ‘There’s an unprecedented crisis at our southern border, we’ve got major conflicts around the world, and families all across Ohio are getting crushed by inflation. Joe Biden’s response to all this is to give your hard-earned money away to illegal immigrants in the form of taxpayer-funded healthcare. This is a slap in the face to every hardworking American who plays by the rules, and it would never happen if Donald Trump were president,’ Vance told the Caller.” [Daily Caller 5/3/24]
Vance Introduced The “No Obamacare For Illegal Aliens Act” To Exclude DACA Recipients From Government Healthcare Coverage. According to a press release from Senator Vance, “Senator Vance and Rep. Brecheen also introduced the No Obamacare for Illegal Aliens Act to amend the definition of ‘lawfully present’ in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to explicitly exclude DACA recipients and bar the use of any federal taxpayer dollars through ACA waivers for providing health insurance coverage for illegal aliens.” [Senator Vance Press Release, 5/3/24]
Vance Said That The “Safety Net Exists For Americans, Not Illegal Aliens.” According to Vance via Twitter, “This is a slap in the face to every citizen. The safety net exists for Americans, not illegal aliens.” [Vance via Twitter, 5/3/24]
¶ Vance Pushed To End Any Welfare For Undocumented Immigrants, Despite Most Federal Welfare Benefits Already Being Unavailable To Undocumented Immigrants
Vance Claimed That The Biden Administration Was Awarding $400,000 In Assistance To Undocumented Immigrants, Saying That Biden “Spit In The Face Of American Citizens” With The Policy. According to a Vance press release via Twitter, “Joe Biden has decided to spit in the face of American citizens by rewarding illegal aliens for breaking our laws with insane $400,000+ payouts by taxpayers.” [Vance Press Release via Twitter, 11/4/21]
¶ The Majority Of Federal Benefits Were Already Not Available To Undocumented Immigrants
The Bulk Of Federal Benefits Were Already Unavailable To Undocumented Immigrants. According to the Ohio Capital Journal, “Stopping welfare for illegal immigrants From the outset, it’s important to note that undocumented immigrants are not eligible for the bulk of federal benefits. Food benefits through SNAP, monetary support through TANF and non-emergency medical coverage from Medicaid are all off the table for people living in the U.S. illegally. But to Vance, the prospect of federal benefits — what he terms American generosity — is a significant lure for immigrants. ‘That’s one of the reasons why people keep coming in, is because they know they’re going to benefit from that generosity,’ he told a crowd in New Albany last month. ‘If you stop that spigot, you actually make it a lot more easy to control the southern border.”’ [Ohio Capital Journal, 4/11/22]
¶ Vance Supported The Impeachment Of Secretary Mayorkas Over Border Policies
¶ Vance Supported The Impeachment Of Secretary Mayorkas Over Border Enforcement
Vance Said That It Was Time To Hold An Impeachment Trial For Mayorkas. According to Vance via Twitter, “Time for the senate to fulfill our duty and hold a full trial. Quote Tweet: @SpeakerJohnson - Together with the 11 House impeachment managers, I sent a letter to Senator Schumer telling him we'll deliver the articles of Secretary Mayorkas’ impeachment to the Senate on April 10th and that he must hold a full trial. The American people deserve accountability.” [Vance via Twitter, 3/28/24]
Vance Said That The Senate Refusal To Try Mayorkas Impeachment “Cheapens The US Senate.” According to Vance via Twitter, “Today Senate Democrats covered for Biden’s open border by refusing to even hold a trial for Secretary Mayorkas’s clearly illegal conduct. They also set a precedent that further cheapens the US Senate.” [Vance via Twitter, 4/17/24]
¶ The Mayorkas Impeachment Articles Were Brought Because Mayorkas Did Not Enforcement Border Policy Like Republican
The Impeachment Articles Against Mayorkas Were Brought Because Mayorkas Did Not Enforce Border Policy In Line With Republican Desires. According to NPR, “The two articles charged Mayorkas with ‘willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law’ in enforcing border policy and ‘breach of public trust.’” [NPR, 2/6/24]
¶ Vance Objected To The Power Given To Secretary Mayorkas In The Border Legislation Because It Could Allow Him To Grant Asylum Claims
Vance Questioned Why Any Republican Would Vote For The Bill While It Gives Secretary Mayorkas Discretionary Enforcement Power. According to Vance via Twitter, “The House is impeaching Mayorkas next week while the Senate will be voting to give him massive discretion to ...not enforce the border. Why would any Republican vote for this?” [Vance via Twitter, 2/4/24]
Vance Called The Discretion Given To Secretary Mayorkas “The Worst Provision In The Bill” Because He Could Grant Asylum Claims. According to Vance via Twitter, “Granting Mayorkas the ability to grant asylum claims without going through immigration court is perhaps the worst provision of the bill.” [Vance via Twitter, 2/4/24]
¶ Vance Voted Against Legislation To Address Border Issues
¶ Vance Voted Against Legislation To Address The Border Yet Voted To Shut Down The Government because Of A Lack Of Border Legislation
¶ February 2024: The Senate Introduced A Bipartisan Border Security Bill
February 2024: The Senate Introduced A Bipartisan Border Security Bill. According to Reuters, “The U.S. Senate on Sunday unveiled a $118 billion bipartisan border security bill that would also provide aid to Ukraine and Israel, but it promptly slammed into opposition from the House of Representatives. […] Schumer said the agreement would provide more frontline personnel and asylum officers and provide ‘faster and fair’ immigration decisions. Lankford told reporters it would fund as many as 50,000 immigrant detention beds, up from the current 34,000. The bill's proponents said it would end the controversial ‘catch-and-release’ practice that critics said contribute to high numbers of illegal immigrants arriving at the southern border. It would do so by speeding up the adjudication of asylum cases instead of quickly releasing apprehended migrants and allowing them to stay in the United States for years while they await hearings.” [Reuters, 2/5/24]
February 2024: Vance Claimed The Border Legislation Would Increase Border Crossings
February 2024: Vance Said The Border Deal Would Be “An Invitation” For People To Come To The US “Illegally.” According to Vance via his Senate Twitter, “LISTEN: @JDVance1 BLASTS Senate ‘border security’ package ‘It’s an invitation for many more millions of people to come across illegally...It does nothing on parole...We’re dealing with a horrendous border security package that actually has nothing to do with border security.’” [Vance via Twitter, 2/5/24]
February 2024: Vance Claimed That Democrats’ Border Bill Means That The “Border Never Closes.” According to Vance via Twitter, “’The border never closes’ is a good summary of this bill, and of Joe Biden's policy. I can understand why Chris Murphy supports it. I cannot imagine why any Republican supports this atrocious proposal.” [Vance via Twitter, 2/4/24]
February 2024: Vance Said That Voting For Border Bill Would Give Amnesty To “Thousands Of Illegal Aliens.” According to Vance’s personal Twitter, “We haven’t even seen the bill’s text yet. Voting next week is a guaranteed way to amnesty hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens. Quote Tweet from @AndrewDesiderio: NEWS — Schumer says supplemental text will be released ‘as early as tomorrow and no later than Sunday.’ He says he’ll file cloture on the motion to proceed on Monday. First vote Wednesday.” [Vance via Twitter, 2/1/24]
¶ March 2024: Despite Opposing Border Legislation A Month Earlier, Vance Voted To Shut Down The Government Over A Lack Of Border Provisions In The Bill
March 2024: Vance Said He Voted “No” On Government Funding Package Because It Did Not Address Border Security. According to Vance via Twitter, “I voted no on the massive spending package that does nothing to secure our border. If we’re going to fund the government, we ought to ensure it’s doing its job.” [Vance via Twitter, 3/23/24]
March 2024: Vance Said That The Power Of The Purse Was The Only Leverage Congress Had To Address Border Issues. According to Vance via Twitter, “Every American should watch this. We shouldn’t fund Joe Biden’s government until he does something to address this. The power of the purse is our only leverage.” [Vance via Twitter, 3/21/24]
¶ May 2024: Vance Spoke In Opposition To The Senate Democrats’ Border Proposal
May 2024: Vance Claimed That The Legislation Was Unnecessary And That Biden Could Enforce Border Policies Without Additional Legislation. According to a Senator Vance press release, “’The executive has broad discretion to enforce our border laws. Now, we have to remember that three and a half years ago, Joe Biden came into the Oval Office, and what were they doing? They were bragging about undoing the previous administration’s border policies. They were bragging about expanding ‘catch-and-release.’ They were bragging about ending Remain in Mexico. They were bragging about changing the asylum enforcement laws in this country. […] Joe Biden opened the southern border, Joe Biden can close the southern border, and it’s really that simple.’” [Senator Vance Press Release, 5/22/24]
May 2024: Vance Claimed That There Was A “Historic Invasion” At The Southern Border. According to a Senator Vance press release, “’Every single one of us said what you’re going to get is a crisis at the southern border, and after three and a half years of them bragging about a policy change and then seeing the predictable results, we now have a historic crisis, I would say historic invasion, at our southern border. Now, all of a sudden, six months before an election, Chuck Schumer and the Democrats have got religion on border security. It doesn’t make any sense. It doesn’t even pass the smell test.’” [Senator Vance Press Release, 5/22/24]
May 2024: Vance Claimed That The Democrats’ Border Bill Would “Make Our Border Crisis Worse.” According to Vance via Twitter, “The ‘border security’ bill Democrats are pushing this week would make our border crisis worse. It would be a disaster for Ohio. I will continue to fight it publicly and privately.” [Vance via Twitter, 5/22/24]
¶ Vance Criticized Biden And Democrats On Border Policy
¶ Vance Claimed That The Biden Administration Destabilized Mexico
Vance Claimed That The Biden Administration Border Policies Destabilized Mexico. According to Vance via Twitter, “One of the components of Biden's open border the media largely ignores: The money flowing to the cartels has destabilized our closest neighbor to the south. We now border a chaotic narco state because Joe Biden doesn't want to enforce our border laws.” [Vance via Twitter, 5/6/24]
¶ Vance Blamed The Biden Administration For The “Crisis” At The Southern Border
Vance Claimed That Biden’s “Do-Nothing Policies” On The Southern Border Created A “Crisis” At The Southern Border. According to Vance’s website accessed via the WayBack Machine, “Unchecked, illegal immigrants are entering our country at record rates. Joe Biden’s do-nothing policies give millions of aliens a free pass to break our laws, traffic drugs into our communities, contribute to rising crime and take jobs away from hardworking Americans. Biden’s policies have created a crisis out of thin air, after four years of President Trump’s successful efforts to get our border under control.” [Vance website via the Wayback Machine, 6/25/22]
Vance Claimed That The Build Back Better Act Would “Make The Immigration Crisis Worse By Basically Giving Away Big Parts Of Our National Wealth To People Who Break Our Laws And Solve That Problem.” According to Breitbart, “Vance noted that this bill creates more problems than it solves. ‘I guess my big question is what problem does this solve?’ he asked. ‘Does it lower spending or does it refill our supply chains? No. We have a terrible immigration crisis, this bill will make the immigration crisis worse by basically giving away big parts of our national wealth to people who break our laws and solve that problem.”’ [Breitbart, 11/20/21]
¶ Vance Shared A Video Of Immigrants At The Border, Claiming That People Responsible For The Situation “Hate The Country”
Vance Posted A Drone Picture Of Immigrants Waiting To Be Processed With The Caption: “The People Allowing This Hate The Country And The Citizens Who Live Here. There Is No Other Way To Explain It.” According to Vance via Twitter, “The people allowing this hate the country and the citizens who live here. There is no other way to explain it.” [Vance via Twitter, 9/16/21]
¶ Vance Repeatedly Claimed Democrats And Corporations Were Conspiring To Allow Unrestricted Immigration For Political Donations And Cheap Labor
VIDEO: Vance Claimed That The Border Crisis Continued Because It Was Good For Both Democratic And Republican Fundraising. According to Fox News via SoundCloud, “VANCE: Yeah, Steve I think it's pretty simple. Look we have a border crisis in this country because it's good for the political donors of both of our major parties, especially the Democratic Party, to have a border crisis. You ask yourself who does this affect? Who is harmed by this? Well we know that it's American service workers who have their wages lowered by illegal immigration. We know that it's people in my community who don't want meth and heroin flooding into the communities who are harmed by a poor southern border. And who benefits from it? The global multinational corporations who love cheap labor. That's what this is ultimately about. Certainly it's the fault of the Biden administration. But this is a uniparty decision to have a flow of cheap labor across the southern border that's causing all of this misery on our side of the border.” [Fox News via YouTube, 03/21/21]
In March 2021, Vance Wrote That The “Masters Of The Universe” And The Need For “Cheap Foreign Labor” Resulted In The Border Crisis. According to an op-ed by J.D. Vance published in Newsweek, “I've thought of this moment frequently, as our southern border has exploded into crisis. We're a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, with tens of millions of people unemployed. Countless businesses have been destroyed. Despite the enormous challenges facing America's working class, those same masters of the universe and the politicians they fund are still looking for the same thing: cheap foreign labor. No one seems to care that many migrants test positive for COVID every day and will directly compete with our struggling service sector workers.” [Op-Ed by JD Vance – Newsweek, 3/18/21]
Vance Said “Illegal” Immigration Is “About Money” And Cheap Labor For Business Leaders. According to an op-ed by J.D. Vance published in Newsweek, “The answer is what I saw at that dinner: It's about money. Nearly every major business and financial leader in this country is a supporter of the Democratic Party. They love illegal immigration for the simple reason that their livelihoods are subsidized by illegal immigration—while illegal aliens themselves are subsidized by the taxpayer. It's a redistribution scheme from the poor to the rich. Vance: “More Immigration Means Lower Wages For Their Workers And Easier Access To Servants For Their Decadent Personal Lives.” [Op-Ed by JD Vance – Newsweek, 3/18/21]