Vance sparks debate on green card rights in US
US vice president JD Vance tossed a match onto the immigration fire on 13 March 2025, telling Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle that green card holders don’t get a forever pass to stay. “A green card holder doesn’t have an indefinite right to be in the United States,” he said, his Ohio drawl firm. “This isn’t about free speech—yes, it’s national security, but more importantly, it’s about who we, as an American public, decide gets to join our national community.” Picture him leaning in, arguing if the president and secretary of state say “out,” that’s it—no legal tether holds you.
The timing’s no accident. The Trump administration’s flexing muscle—detaining Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist with a green card, over campus protests—while president Donald Trump pitches his $5 million “gold card” fast-track to citizenship. “We’re selling a gold card,” Trump said from the Oval Office, eyeing talent from India and China. “It’s $5 million for green card privileges, plus a citizenship route.” Indians snag 72.3% of H-1B visas lately, per USCIS, and this could keep grads from Harvard or Wharton from bolting home when offers dry up.
Green cards mean rights—live here, work most jobs, claim legal cover—but Vance’s words sting with limits. You’ve got to follow laws, file taxes, back democracy (no voting, though), and, if you’re a guy 18-25, sign up for Selective Service. Break the rules, and that “permanent” tag frays—deportation’s on the table. I can’t shake the image of an Andhra techie in California, green card in wallet, wondering if a protest or a policy shift could unravel years of hustle. Trump’s gold card glitters, but Vance’s line lingers—who decides who stays?
