Vice President Vance named nine universities for investigation over J-1 visas used to undercut American researchers’ pay, with Labor Department subpoenas already served.
Vice President JD Vance on Thursday announced a federal probe into elite colleges’ use of the J-1 visa program. That program lets foreign students and researchers study or work in the United States.
He said the schools bring in foreigners to undercut the wages of American residents. Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito confirmed subpoenas have been served and investigations are underway.
The move came at a press conference on fraud and abuse in work visa programs. The Hill reported Vance’s remarks and the universities’ initial responses.
Vance specifically named Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, Brown University, the University of Pittsburgh, Arizona State University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the California Institute of Technology, and the University of California, Davis.
He framed the issue as simple fairness for American graduate students and researchers who compete for the same federally funded work.
Vance laid out the numbers he says justify the scrutiny. American graduate students and researchers make about $20,000 more than workers brought in under a J-1 visa, he said.
He also pointed to how often these schools rely on the visas for federally funded grants.
Vice President Vance stated:
"What we see is when you employ an American worker as a graduate student as a researcher, they are making about $20,000 more than someone brought in under a J-1 visa and, importantly, these universities are employing J-1 visas for federally funded grants at a rate of 61 percent,"
He compared that figure to the national average of 38 percent.
Vance added:
"The national average is 38 percent, so something weird is going on at these universities. They are using these visas way too much. They are using them to undercut the wages of American grad students and American researchers, and it simply has to stop,"
He put the core charge in plain terms.
Vice President Vance said:
"Elite universities bring in foreigners to undercut the wages of American residents,"
And he left little doubt about the target list: “There are nine universities in particular we believe merit an investigation.”
The announcement fits a broader pattern of Vance addressing administration priorities in public settings and pressing institutions that receive federal dollars.
D’Esposito spoke alongside Vance and confirmed the investigative steps already taken.
He said subpoenas have been served and investigations are underway. He also tied the issue to national security and research integrity.
Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito stated:
"If an American university is breaking the law to save a dollar while exposing American research to a foreign adversary that is not academic excellence it is institutional betrayal,"
His remarks referenced concerns about China’s influence in American universities. The probe sits inside a longer list of Trump administration actions aimed at U.S. colleges and their foreign-student practices.
Taxpayers fund a large share of university research. When those grants go to lower-paid foreign visa holders at higher rates than the national norm, American workers feel the squeeze first.
Vance has drawn attention in other high-visibility moments, including when a 9/11 widow confronted him at Ground Zero over accountability demands.
Several of the named schools responded quickly. Most stressed compliance and said they are reviewing the subpoenas.
Brown University confirmed it received the subpoena. The school said international scholars, students, and employees make essential contributions on campus, including to teaching and research that advances American innovation, competitiveness, and economic vitality.
Stanford University told reporters it complies with all applicable visa laws and will cooperate with the investigation.
Yale’s spokesperson said the university is committed to full compliance with federal rules concerning visas, including J-1 requirements. Yale will review the documents once they are received.
MIT said it is in the process of reviewing “this very broad subpoena.” The university added that all J-1 visa holders there have been vetted and authorized by the U.S. government.
Staff changes around Vance have also drawn notice, including when Tucker Carlson’s son left his press team amid wider political rifts.
The University of Pittsburgh said the subpoena asks a number of questions about its participation in the visa programs. Pittsburgh stated it meets all applicable federal requirements.
Arizona State University pointed to its scale. A spokesperson said ASU educates more STEM majors than any other university and employs one of the largest technical and scientific workforces in the country.
The same spokesperson said this benefits both the Arizona and United States economies. ASU hired the talent needed and did so in complete compliance with existing United States policy and law, the university said.
UC Davis said it carefully complies with all federal laws and regulations for visas and looks forward to working with federal partners to confirm compliance.
Harvard University said it is reviewing the subpoena. The Hill reached out to the White House and to Caltech for comment; no responses from those two appeared in the initial report.
The J-1 visa is meant for educational and cultural exchange. Critics of heavy university use argue it has become a labor workaround on projects paid for by U.S. taxpayers.
Vance’s figures, if borne out by the subpoenaed records, show a clear gap. A 61 percent J-1 rate on federal grants at these schools versus 38 percent nationally is not a small difference. A $20,000 pay gap between American graduate researchers and J-1 holders is not a rounding error.
Universities call their foreign talent essential to innovation. That claim can be true and still leave the wage and compliance questions unanswered. Federal rules exist for a reason. Saving money while shifting risk onto American researchers and sensitive research is exactly the tradeoff D’Esposito flagged.
No findings, charges, or final enforcement actions have been announced. The process is at the subpoena and investigation stage. Specific legal violations beyond the general fraud-and-abuse frame were not detailed in the public remarks.
Family and political future questions continue to follow Vance as well, as when Usha Vance discussed family life and 2028 options in recent coverage.
What the records will show about actual pay scales, grant staffing, and any improper use remains to be seen. The inspector general’s office now has the documents and the mandate to find out.
American graduate students and researchers should not lose wages or lab slots because elite schools treat a visa program like a discount labor pool. Federal money comes with federal rules, and those rules are finally getting enforced.
