We have worked hard for it: Indian-origin student’s viral moment with JD Vance reignites debate over who the American dream is really for
At a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, an Indian-origin student stood up during the audience Q&A to question US Vice President JD Vance on the country’s changing immigration stance. She spoke calmly, asking why the United States continues to attract foreign students and skilled workers with the promise of opportunity, only to make it harder for them to stay and contribute after graduation.When she told Vance that international students had “worked hard for it,” her words drew applause from some in the crowd and silence from others. The exchange, captured on video, spread quickly online — not because it was confrontational, but because it reflected a quiet frustration shared by thousands.Across campuses and workplaces, international students and professionals now find themselves at the centre of a national argument that paints even legal migrants as threats to American jobs. Once welcomed as the talent that fuels innovation, many are now caught between the promise of education and the reality of exclusion. Her question, simple and direct, asked what many have been wondering: why does America continue to sell the dream while raising the walls around it?
The exchange that started the debate
Vance replied that the US must prioritise its citizens and cannot commit to taking “a million or ten million or hundred million” immigrants in the future, even through legal routes. He said American policy could not be expected to accommodate limitless migration.His response drew applause at the event, but reactions online were divided. While many praised the student’s clarity and composure, several accounts supportive of the MAGA movement criticised her, using language that reflected both anti-immigrant and religious bias.The moment has reignited a broader discussion on who gets to benefit from a system long seen as open to global talent — and whether that openness still exists.
What students are saying
Across group chats and online forums, the exchange has become shorthand for the gap between expectation and reality. Students who once viewed US universities as a clear path to careers now describe long visa delays, unpredictable job markets, and shifting policies that upend plans made years in advance.Many said the viral clip voiced what they have been thinking — that the promise sold to international students no longer matches the barriers they face after graduation. The conversation has also revealed a growing unease among those who feel that their presence, once celebrated, is now under scrutiny.
Policy shifts and their impact
The controversy comes amid several policy changes reshaping the experience of foreign students and professionals in the US:
- A $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications.
- The halt of automatic extensions for Employment Authorisation Documents (work permits).
- A Florida law preventing public higher education institutions from hiring through the H-1B route.
Critics see these as steps to restrict even legal immigration — measures that have unsettled those who built long-term career plans around staying in the US. The tightening also contrasts sharply with how universities continue to recruit international students by promoting post-study work opportunities.
A reflection of changing sentiment
The student’s question has been widely shared across platforms like X and Instagram. Many international students have framed it as a turning point in how young immigrants are responding to shifting policies and rising hostility online.Several observers noted that she did not raise her voice or make a political statement but simply asked for consistency and fairness. The response she received, and the backlash that followed, revealed how divided the national conversation around immigration has become.For students, especially from India and other Asian countries, the episode has become a marker of what it now means to study and build a life in the US — balancing effort, uncertainty, and a growing sense of exclusion.
Religion and rhetoric
The discussion deepened when the student referenced Vance’s earlier remarks about his wife, Usha Vance, who is of Indian origin and Hindu. The mention prompted a wave of personal and religious attacks online.The backlash illustrated how immigration debates in the US often expand beyond policy into questions of identity and belonging. For many watching, it reflected the blurred line between politics, race, and religion in defining who is seen as truly American.
Who the dream belongs to
For decades, the American dream has been a selling point for universities and a global aspiration for students. The Mississippi student’s question — and the debate it sparked — has forced many to reconsider what that dream means today.Applications to countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia have steadily increased over the past three years, as those nations maintain clearer work and residency pathways.The question that went viral was short and polite, yet it carried a larger message. It asked whether a system that depends on global talent is still willing to stand by the promise it once made.
