The Trump administration on Thursday announced investigations into nine leading American universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, over suspected misuse of J-1 visas to employ foreign researchers and graduate students.
The Department of Labour's Inspector General said subpoenas had already been served as investigators examined possible violations involving federally funded research programmes.
The universities under investigation are Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California Davis, the California Institute of Technology, Arizona State University and MIT.
Vice President JD Vance said the administration suspected the institutions of using foreign researchers to reduce labour costs.
"Now there are nine universities in particular that we believe merit an investigation," Vance said.
He claimed that American graduate students and researchers were paid approximately $20,000 more than comparable workers brought into the country under J-1 visas.
Vance also questioned the proportion of foreign researchers employed by the institutions.
He said the nine universities were using J-1 visas for federally funded grants at a rate of about 61 per cent, compared with a national average of 38 per cent.
"Something weird is going on at these universities," he said.
Labour Inspector General Anthony DiEsposito confirmed that formal investigations were underway.
"Subpoenas have been served, investigations are underway, and nobody will be getting a free pass because their name is carved into an expensive building," he said.
DiEsposito said approximately 61 per cent of postdoctoral researchers and federally funded workers at the institutions were foreign nationals.
He said investigators would examine whether universities had improperly used visa classifications to avoid employment obligations or exploit taxpayer-funded programmes.
The investigation will also examine possible national security implications.
DiEsposito specifically raised concerns about China and the potential exposure of American research and intellectual property to foreign influence.
"We will investigate whether foreign influence, improper financial relationships or visa abuse are compromising federally funded research," he said.
The administration did not identify specific researchers accused of wrongdoing or provide university-specific evidence during the announcement.
DiEsposito also announced the establishment of a visa fraud strike team bringing together investigators from across the federal government.
He said the task force's broader investigations had contributed to 171 indictments, 203 convictions and 80 arrests.
The J-1 exchange visitor programme enables foreign nationals to participate in approved educational, research and cultural exchange activities in the United States.
American universities use the programme to host international scholars and researchers, including participants in scientific and technological research. The investigations announced Thursday could therefore attract attention among international academics, including those from India, seeking research opportunities at leading US institutions.
