Vance faces tough questions on Iran war, immigration and more in CBS town hall

US Vice President JD Vance has defended an immigration system focused on social cohesion and shared community values. He argued in a post on X that Americans should be able to live alongside individuals with whom they share commonalities. His remarks come as the Trump administration intensifies its scrutiny of immigration, including employment-based visas and employer-sponsored green cards.

Vance stated, "My goal here is to make it so that we can have a country with some baseline of social cohesion and sense of community. I don t think it s unreasonable for an American citizen to want to share their community with people they have something in common with, and I think our immigration system has to build that." These comments reflect the administration's emphasis on assimilation and the effects of immigration on American communities.

They also occur amid discussions about foreign workers, particularly those employed through temporary visa programs. Vance addressed criticisms of his immigration rhetoric during a CBS News town hall on October 17, clarifying that his comments were directed at companies exploiting foreign workers' vulnerability, not the workers themselves.

The administration aims to tighten scrutiny of employment-based immigration, including suspensions of PERM labor certification processing for major technology companies. Despite the focus on employment-based immigration, Vance's remarks highlight a broader approach that includes assimilation and community cohesion.