Second Lady Usha Vance welcomes 4th child with JD Vance

Indian American Second Lady Usha Vance and Vice President JD Vance announced Sunday that they have welcomed their fourth child, Alec Neel Vance. Alec’s birth marks the first time in more than 150 years that a sitting U.S. vice president has welcomed a child while in office.

The milestone places Usha Vance, the daughter of Indian immigrants, at the center of an unusual White House family moment as her husband helps advance an administration pursuing major restrictions on immigration.

The Vances shared the announcement Sunday, saying their son was born at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. In a joint statement, the couple said: “We are excited to announce that our baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning. Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother.”

The couple thanked Walter Reed’s military doctors and staff as well as the White House Medical Unit for their care during the pregnancy. Alec joins Ewan, 9, Vivek, 6 and Mirabel, 4.

No sitting vice president had welcomed a child since Schuyler Colfax and his wife, Ellen, had a son in 1870. JD Vance, 41, is also one of the youngest people to serve as vice president, putting his family at a stage of life rarely seen in the modern vice presidency.

Born Usha Chilukuri, Usha Vance’s parents are Indian immigrants who established academic careers after moving to the U.S. Her father, Radhakrishna “Krish” Chilukuri, is an aerospace engineer and university lecturer while her mother, Lakshmi Chilukuri, is a molecular biologist who serves as provost at the University of California, San Diego’s Sixth College.

Raised in the San Diego area, Usha Vance, now 40, earned undergraduate and law degrees from Yale University. She later worked as a trial lawyer before leaving private practice during her husband’s vice presidential campaign.

She became the nation’s first Indian American second lady when JD Vance was sworn into office in January 2025. Although she has largely maintained a low public profile, her position has made her one of the most prominent Indian Americans in U.S. political life and a closely watched figure among Asian American communities.

Usha Vance’s path to the White House began with the opportunities available to her immigrant parents. JD Vance, however, has become a prominent defender of Trump’s effort to narrow who may enter the country, remain in it and receive citizenship at birth.

In December, JD Vance wrote on X that “mass migration is theft of the American Dream.” The post prompted criticism from social media users and Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), who pointed to Usha Vance’s immigrant family background. Thanedar wrote that, “By your own logic, your wife’s entire family is ‘stealing the American dream.'”

On Trump’s first day back in office, he signed an executive order directing federal agencies to deny citizenship documents to some U.S.-born children whose parents were undocumented or held temporary status. JD Vance defended the order days later, arguing that the administration could challenge the prevailing interpretation of birthright citizenship. The order faced immediate constitutional challenges and was blocked before taking effect.

Usha Vance has rarely spoken publicly about immigration or other major policy issues. Since becoming second lady, her public appearances have largely centered on military families, education, cultural programs and official White House events.