JD Vance says he'll still call legal Haitian immigrants 'illegal aliens', decries Harris' border policies

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: Ohio Senator JD Vance stirred controversy on Wednesday, September 18, by reiterating that he would continue to refer to Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, as "illegal aliens," despite many of them being in the country legally.

Vance made these remarks while speaking in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he once again focused on Springfield, which has been at the heart of immigration discussions over the past week.

JD Vance says Kamala Harris' actions don't change immigrant status

The Republican Senator, who has been an outspoken critic of the current administration’s immigration policies, avoided repeating debunked claims that Haitian migrants were consuming cats and dogs.

However, he continued to insist that longtime residents of Springfield felt unsafe and claimed that 20,000 migrants were still in the city "illegally."

Many Haitian migrants have entered the US under President Joe Biden's Humanitarian Parole and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programs.

These programs allow migrants from countries like Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the US legally if they have a sponsor and pass strict vetting processes.

Migrants who qualify under these programs are permitted to remain in the US while their long-term immigration status is determined, as noted by Newsweek.

“If Kamala Harris waves a wand, illegally, and says these people are now here legally, I’m still going to call them illegal aliens," Vance said, maintaining his firm stance.

"An illegal action by Kamala Harris does not make an alien legal. That is not how this works,” Vance added during his speech.

JD Vance mocks Kamala Harris over recent media interviews

During his address, JD Vance also criticized Kamala Harris for avoiding media interviews while simultaneously poking fun at the interviews she has done in recent weeks.

“Part of the reason I want Kamala Harris to do more interviews is because there’s so much comic relief in it,” he said, referencing Harris’ frequent mentions of growing up in a middle-class family and working at McDonald’s. His remarks were met with laughter from the crowd.

Vance went on to suggest that Harris’ interviews could benefit his party. “I really do believe, every time she answers a question, we gain around a hundred thousand votes. So, I do selfishly wish Kamala Harris would give more interviews...,” he said, pointing out her interview responses. 

"...I don’t know if you’ve seen. My friends, some of these interviews she gives," he went on, saying that when she is asked, "What is your exact plan? How are you going to lower grocery, food, and housing prices for American citizens?" she will respond, "Did you know I grew up in a middle-class family...'"

Internet blasts JD Vance as he announces he'd continue calling Haitian migrants 'illegal'

JD Vance's statements sparked widespread reactions online, with many criticizing the Republican vice presidential candidate's comments.

One user sarcastically said, “Bro needs to give his law degree back.” Another remarked, “That means Melania is an illegal alien if I’m not mistaken.” 

Someone else asked, “Didn’t Trump wave a wand and declassify everything? What a f***wad.”

Another critic wrote, “History is still gonna call you a divan interventionist," while one more tweet read, “JD Vance, the whole world hates you.”

“This is their Senator talking like this? This is a disgrace,” questioned a user, and another individual predicted political consequences for Vance’s rhetoric, writing, “This rhetoric will cost them the election.”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.