Trump administration investigates universities over suspected visa fraud

The Trump administration is probing nine universities over possible fraud involving the J-1 visa programme, Politico reports. Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday that the institutions under investigation include Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California, Davis, the California Institute of Technology, Arizona State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The programme allows noncitizens to study and conduct research or graduate work in the US on a temporary basis.

Vance said the universities are “using these visas way too much,” undermining wages for American graduate students and researchers. Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito said the universities have been served subpoenas and that the agency will look into “whether foreign influence, improper financial relationships or visa abuse are compromising federally funded research.” He said 61% of postdoctoral researchers and federally funded workers at the institutions are foreign.

Stanford spokesperson Angie Davis said it will cooperate. Others did not immediately respond to comment requests.