Trump administration investigating nine universities, including Harvard

Bangla Press Desk: Following the suspension of green card benefits for eight technology companies—including Microsoft—the Trump administration has now launched an investigation into nine leading US universities, including Harvard, over the alleged misuse of exchange visas.
This announcement was made during a press conference at the White House yesterday, Thursday (October 8). Reuters reported the news.
US officials stated that investigations would be conducted into nine universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford. The administration alleges that these universities misused exchange-visitor visas with the aim of driving down wages for Americans.
Other universities included in the investigation are Brown and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Anthony D’Esposito, Inspector General of the US Department of Labor, stated that legal notices regarding this matter have already been sent to the respective universities.
D’Esposito said investigators would examine whether any risks arise from foreign influence, unethical financial relationships, or visa misuse in federally funded research.
Sarah Spreitzer, Vice President of the American Council on Education—an organization representing the heads of various colleges and universities—said, "This could have a massive impact on the entire US economy."
She noted that international students historically spend $40 billion annually while in the United States.
This investigation further intensifies the administration's long-standing dispute with Harvard regarding foreign students. Last year, the Department of Homeland Security sent a legal notice to Harvard concerning alleged misconduct by international students and compliance with immigration laws. Although Harvard termed the notice a "baseless retaliatory measure," the university stated it would respond in accordance with the law.
According to a Reuters report from last week, the number of applications from international students to Columbia University has dropped dramatically due to rapidly changing visa policies. As a result, the university has been forced to temporarily suspend student admissions for one of its journalism programs.
BP/TD