Fact Check: Did JD Vance say people born to noncitizens should be deported?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the criticisms surrounding the Trump administration’s immigration policies, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that Vice President JD Vance said that those born to noncitizens should be deported, sparking a range of reactions from online users. Let us analyze the remark and fact-check its authenticity.
Claim: JD Vance said those born to noncitizens should be deported
The rumor shared online read, “If you're born in this country and your parents were not US citizens, then you should be deported."
Some of the posts that amplified the claim were accompanied by a photo of Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, suggesting that the quote implied he was willing to deport his wife, who was born to immigrants.
The claim has sparked speculation among online users, who are questioning its authenticity, while others appear to believe it.
Fact Check: The quote is falsely attributed to JD Vance
The quote, however, is falsely attributed to the vice president, as there is no evidence of Vance making such a statement in public.
A search on Google and several other search engines for the quote yielded no relevant results from credible media outlets, which would have been widely reported if Vance had truly said it.
Also, the X account that first made the claim is not credible and has made similar posts touting alleged quotes from other political figures that appeared to be fabricated.
Although Vance did not explicitly say that children born to noncitizens should be deported, he has criticized broad birthright citizenship, which stipulates that all people born within the country are considered US citizens from birth, regardless of their parents' nationality or immigration status.
JD Vance on birthright citizenship
During his appearance on CBS' 'Face the Nation' in January 2025, Vance spoke on Trump's executive order aimed at limiting birthright citizenship.
He said, “If you are a lawful permanent resident or a legal immigrant who plans to stay, your children, of course, should become American citizens.”
Vance went on to say, “If you come here on vacation and you have a baby in an American hospital, that baby doesn't become an American citizen. If you're an illegal alien, and you come here temporarily, hopefully, your child does not become an American citizen by virtue of just having been born on American soil.”
“It's a very basic principle in American immigration law that if you want to become an American citizen and you've done it the right way, and the American people and their collective wisdom have welcomed you into our national community, then you become a citizen.”
“But temporary residents, people who come in here whether legally or illegally and don't plan to stay, their children shouldn't become American citizens,” he added.
