Trump Administration Subpoenas Harvard, Yale and Seven Other Universities in J-1 Visa Investigation
The Labor Department has served subpoenas on nine universities as it investigates whether they misused the J-1 exchange visitor program on federally funded research, an inquiry universities say they are reviewing while defending their compliance with visa law.
The Trump administration has opened an investigation into nine universities over their use of the J-1 exchange visitor program, with the Labor Department already serving subpoenas on each school, according to Inside Higher Ed and The Harvard Crimson.
The universities are Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the California Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of California, Davis. The J-1 program lets foreign nationals come to the United States temporarily to teach, lecture, do research or receive graduate medical training through State Department-overseen exchanges.
Administration alleges wage undercutting; universities defend compliance
Speaking at a Thursday press conference on visa fraud, Vice President JD Vance alleged that the nine schools rely on J-1 holders for federally funded grant work at a rate of about 61%, compared with a national average of 38%, and that American graduate students and researchers earn about $20,000 more than comparable J-1 holders, according to both outlets. The Crimson noted that Vance did not explain how those figures were calculated, and the claims have not been independently established.
Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito described the effort as a historic investigation into J-1 visa fraud and said investigators would examine whether foreign influence, improper financial relationships or visa abuse are compromising federally funded research, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Several universities said they follow the law and will respond to the government. Brown confirmed it had received a subpoena for records on federal foreign labor programs and said it would respond promptly, while also crediting its international scholars with essential teaching and research contributions, Inside Higher Ed reported. Arizona State said it hires the talent its large technical and scientific workforce requires in complete compliance with U.S. policy and law. Stanford said it complies with applicable visa laws and will cooperate. MIT said it is reviewing what it called a very broad subpoena and noted that the federal government vets every J-1 visa holder. Harvard confirmed it had received the subpoena and was reviewing it, according to the Crimson, which reported that Harvard sponsors visas for more than 10,000 international students and scholars.
Part of a wider immigration enforcement push
The university inquiry is the latest step in a broader administration campaign on student and employment-based immigration programs. In a related move covered by this site, the Labor Department has suspended Microsoft and Adobe from a federal labor certification program used to sponsor foreign employees for permanent residence. For Harvard, the Crimson reported, the new subpoena follows earlier State Department and Homeland Security inquiries into its handling of international students and researchers during 2025.
Reporting based on coverage by Inside Higher Ed and The Harvard Crimson.
