The Trump administration has opened an investigation into nine universities for alleged fraud related to J-1 visas, the main visa class for international postdoctoral researchers. The Department of Labor has issued subpoenas to Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, Caltech, Arizona State, MIT, the University of Pittsburgh, and UC Davis, according to an announcement Thursday.
Vice President JD Vance claimed the schools rely too heavily on J-1 visas to bring in cheap labor, citing a rate of 61% for researchers on federal grants versus a 38% national average. STAT could not verify those figures, but National Science Foundation data show nearly 60% of postdocs in science, engineering, and health are temporary visa holders, most on J-1s.
The universities say they follow visa laws and will cooperate. MIT confirmed receiving a "very broad subpoena," while Stanford and Yale said they are committed to compliance. The investigation is part of broader administration efforts to restrict international scholars, including proposed fees and caps. An immigration attorney warned the message could deter scientists and damage U.S. research leadership for decades.