Rebuked by India, JD Vance admits he went too far with ‘indentured servants’ rhetoric

WASHINGTON: Following criticism, US Vice President JD Vance admitted that his "indentured servants" rhetoric was imperfect, and he wanted to aim at the US companies and the visa system, not the H-1B visa holders.

India had condemned JD Vance's description of H-1B visa workers as "indentured servants", calling the terminology "deeply offensive" and saying it carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations.

Speaking at a CBS Town Hall, JD Vance clarified that his criticism was directed at US firms and the visa system, allowing H-1B holders to be shipped back to their country of origin.

He said, "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."

"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. (ANI)

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