JD Vance says H-1B ‘indentured servants’ remark targeted employers, not workers

US Vice President JD Vance has said that his description of H-1B visa holders as “indentured servants” was imperfect, clarifying that his criticism was aimed at American companies and the visa system rather than foreign workers.

His remarks came after India condemned the terminology as “deeply offensive”, citing its painful historical and colonial connotations.

‘Employer-tied visas give companies too much power’

Speaking at a CBS Town Hall, Vance said that some H-1B workers depended on their employers to remain in the US because their visas were tied to their jobs. He argued that this arrangement gave companies too much power over foreign employees.

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“To the extent my rhetoric has been imperfect, that's on me. What I said about certain Visa holders, certain H-1B (holders), is not (for) the entire category. This is what happens often… when they come in with an H1B and the company is certifying that they are doing a job that they cannot find an alternative American labourer apt for it. Importantly, their visa is their only lifeline to the United States of America,” said Vance as quoted by ANI.

‘Indentured servitude remark aimed at companies’

Vance said that workers could face deportation if they lost their jobs or disagreed with their employers. He said his use of the term was directed at companies that could exploit this dependence, rather than at H-1B workers themselves.

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“So, when I say indentured servitude, that is not a criticism of H1B visa holders; that is the criticism of the company, which brings a person who sometimes will lay off an American worker and knows that if they complain, if they have disagreement with the boss, they could just lose their job… They can be shipped back, which I think gives way too much power to the employer. Maybe my rhetoric has been imperfect here… it is the criticism of the visa system that allowed people to be treated as indentured servants, as they can be shipped to their countries of origin,” Vance added.

Earlier remarks linked foreign hiring to lower wages

Earlier this month, Vance had used the same term while addressing a news conference on visa fraud. He accused foreign outsourcing firms of hiring overseas workers at lower wages and replacing American employees.