The University of Pittsburgh is among nine institutions of higher learning that Vice President JD Vance says will be investigated for potential visa fraud.
"Some of America's most elite universities bring in foreigners ... to undercut the wages of American residents," Vance said at a press conference Thursday. "They are using these visas way too much."
Pitt officials on Thursday evening confirmed receipt of a subpoena from the federal Department of Labor "that asks a number of questions about our participation in their visa programs. The University participates in federal visa programs ... in accordance with all applicable federal requirements."
The school said it was reviewing the subpoena.
The other institutions Vance flagged were: Arizona State University, Brown University, the California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, the University of California-Davis, and Yale University.
At issue are J-1 visas used by some international members of the campus community. While most full-time international students study under a separate program, J-1 recipients are allowed to come to the United States to conduct graduate work or other academic research.
Vance charged that the nine schools under investigation were abusing the program as a source of cheap labor. An American-born researcher earns $20,000 a year more than one in the United States on a J-1 visa, he said. And he claimed the schools being looked at had filled 61 percent of federally-funded research positions with J-1 visa holders, compared to a national average of 38 percent.
"Something weird is going on at these universities," said Vance. "They are using them to undercut the wages of American grad students and American researchers, and it simply has to stop."
Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito put the matter more bluntly: "I don't care how prestigious a university thinks it is. ... Screw the American people, and I will personally cuff you in the university square."
Vance's warning was part of a broader attack on visa programs for highly skilled immigrants Thursday: The administration said it was also suspending the issuance of green cards for employees sought by Microsoft and other firms.
While defenders of the programs say they allow U.S. firms to maintain their competitive edge by hiring the best talent in the world, President Donald Trump has sought to sharply limit immigration to the United States, characterizing immigrants as a threat to the earning power and position of Americans.
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