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'America gave us a dream, took our youth': Student confronts US Vice Prez

Indian-origin student confronts JD Vance over Trump immigration policy and interfaith remarks

JD Vance, Vance

US Vice President JD Vance (Photo: Reuters)

Surbhi Gloria Singh New Delhi

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A university event in the United States took an unexpected turn when a student, believed to be of Indian origin, questioned Vice President JD Vance over the Trump administration’s strict immigration stance and his own interfaith marriage. The exchange took place during an interaction at the University of Mississippi.
 
Tense exchange on immigration policy
 
Vance, known for advocating a tougher vetting process and tighter immigration limits, told the audience that legal immigration to the US should be “far less than what is being accepted.” He did not specify a number but maintained that current levels were too high.
 
 
As he invited questions, a female student in the audience directly challenged him on the issue. A video of the exchange has since gone viral on social media.
 
“When you talk about too many immigrants here, when did you guys decide that number?” she asked. “You made us spend our youth, our wealth in this country and gave us a dream. You don’t owe us anything. We have worked hard for it.”
 
The student’s remarks came amid the Trump administration’s ongoing deportation drives and curbs on legal immigration, including stricter rules for H-1B visas and the revocation of around 6,000 international student visas.
 
“How can you, as a vice president, stand there and say that ‘we have too many of them now’ and take people out who came here rightfully by paying the money you asked for?” she continued. “You gave us the path, and now how can you stop it and tell us we don’t belong here anymore?”
 
As the audience applauded, Vance appeared momentarily uneasy but responded lightly, saying, “We are not close to causing a scene. Don’t worry.”
 
Vance defends position on immigration limits
 
Vance avoided giving a direct answer but argued that admitting too many immigrants could strain the social fabric of America.
 
“Just because one person or ten people or a hundred people came in illegally and contributed to the US, does that mean that we are thereby committed to let in a million or ten million or a hundred million people a year in the future? No, that’s not right,” he said.
 
Questions on his interfaith marriage
 
The student then shifted her questions to Vance’s personal life, asking about his Hindu wife, Usha, and their inter-cultural household.
 
“Why do I have to be Christian to prove I love America?” she asked, referring to his repeated focus on faith in public speeches.
 
Vance replied that while his wife was Hindu, he hoped she would one day embrace Christianity. “I honestly do wish that because I believe in the Christian gospel, and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it the same way,” he said. “But if she doesn’t, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn’t cause a problem for me.”
 
He added that his wife often attended church with him on Sundays.
 
The exchange ended without confrontation, but the moment has stirred debate online, reflecting the growing tension around immigration and identity in US politics.

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First Published: Oct 31 2025 | 2:42 PM IST

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