Trump Administration Probes Nine Elite Universities for Alleged Visa Fraud
Federal investigators are examining institutions like Harvard and Yale for suspected misuse of the J-1 visa program.
The Trump administration has launched an investigation into nine prominent universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and MIT, over allegations of visa fraud and the improper financial leveraging of foreign nationals. Vice President JD Vance announced Thursday that federal investigators are examining whether these institutions have exploited the J-1 visa program, suggesting a pattern of hiring and admitting international students in ways that circumvent employment obligations to U.S. citizens and potentially undercut wages for American researchers.
"Something weird is going on at these universities," Vance stated at a news conference. "They’re using these visas way too much. They’re using them to undercut the wages of American grad students and American researchers, and it simply has to stop."
The probe has prompted the Labor Department to establish a visa fraud strike team, and subpoenas have already been issued to the implicated universities. The schools under examination are Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, the University of Pittsburgh, UC Davis, Caltech, Arizona State, and MIT.
Anthony D’Esposito, a watchdog for the Labor Department, commented on the investigation, noting that 61% of post-graduate students at U.S. universities are international. "American taxpayers send billions of dollars to these universities to support research and innovation. They deserve to know where that money is be, where is going, and whether it’s being used lawfully," he said. The administration's focus is on ensuring that federal funds and visa programs are used in compliance with regulations.