GOP VP Nominee JD Vance Makes False Claim About Immigration, Ignoring Data
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance made a false and inflammatory claim about immigration on Thursday, blaming Vice President Kamala Harris for flooding the country with “25 million illegal aliens.” This statement, repeated after a similar claim in August, is significantly exaggerated and contradicts data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, and non-partisan organizations like the Migration Policy Institute and Pew Research Center. While Vance’s campaign declined to provide a source for his numbers, these credible organizations consistently report the number of unauthorized immigrants in the United States to be closer to 11 million.
Key Takeaways
- JD Vance’s claim of "25 million illegal aliens" is demonstrably false.
- Credible data sources indicate the number of unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. is closer to 11 million.
- Vance’s comments aim to refute positive economic impacts of immigration highlighted by investment firms like Goldman Sachs.
- Vance uses Springfield, Ohio as an example, linking a rise in Haitian immigrants to alleged negative consequences for the community.
The Numbers Don’t Add Up
Vance’s statement ignores data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Homeland Security Statistics. CBP data shows around 10.2 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border between February 2021 and July 2024, but millions of these were expulsions under Title 42, a pandemic-era policy that ended in May 2023. It’s important to note that a border encounter doesn’t necessarily equal a single person. Many encountered by CBP had previously attempted to enter the U.S.
Furthermore, the DHS estimates that 11 million unauthorized immigrants were living in the U.S. as of January 2022, a figure confirmed by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and Pew Research Center. These non-partisan organizations utilize rigorous methodologies to gather reliable data on immigration.
Vance’s Mischaracterization of Immigration and Its Impacts
Vance’s false statement about the number of unauthorized immigrants appears to be a tactic to deflect from positive economic impacts of immigration, particularly those highlighted by Goldman Sachs. The investment firm recently concluded that immigration has had a net positive effect on the U.S. economy and labor market.
To further discredit immigration, Vance uses the example of Springfield, Ohio, where he claims an influx of Haitian immigrants has led to unaffordable housing, rising communicable diseases, and decreased quality of life. This echoes a baseless conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating local pets, which has been repeatedly promoted by Vance and Donald Trump.
This inflammatory rhetoric, coupled with the demonstrably false figure of "25 million illegal aliens," represents a dangerous attempt to exploit fear and prejudice against immigrants. It’s crucial to rely on credible, non-partisan data sources to understand complex issues like immigration and to avoid the spread of misinformation.
