JD Vance Cites Bernie Sanders' Past Stance to Defend New Visa Crackdown

At a conference announcing heightened scrutiny of employment-based visa programs, Vice President JD Vance invoked a 2016 remark by Senator Bernie Sanders that rejected open-border policies, suggesting the former socialist shared worries about labor-market competition. Vance used the reference to bolster the administration's move to bar firms like Microsoft, Adobe and several IT outsourcing companies from the Department of Labor's PERM process, which sponsors foreign workers for permanent residency.

Officials claim these firms laid off thousands of U.S. employees while continuing to employ a comparable number of H-1B visa holders. Vance contended that contemporary socialist politicians no longer prioritize protecting workers, contrasting them with Sanders' earlier stance. He emphasized that immigration policy should favor American labor over cheaper foreign talent. The remarks underscore a rare point of agreement between two politicians from opposite ends of the ideological spectrum.