Arizona State University officials defended the school Thursday against allegations leveled at it by Vice President J.D. Vance that it was engaged in visa fraud.
In remarks Thursday morning, Vance called for an investigation into ASU and nine others universities. The other universities include Harvard, Yale, MIT, UC Davis, Stanford, Brown, University of Pittsburgh, and Caltech.
ASU officials in a statment defended their policies.
“As one of the largest research universities in the United States, Arizona State University educates more STEM majors than any other university and employs one of the largest technical and scientific workforces in the country," the statement said.
Vance accuses these universities of J-1B Visa misuse. That is a visa exclusively for students in a work or study exchange program.
“Something weird is going on at these universities,” Vance said. “They’re using these visas way too much. They're using them to undercut the wages of American grad students and American researchers, and it simply has to stop.”
Vance continued to say that foreign workers are under “indentured servitude” and that by having foreign students and employees undercuts the wages for American students.
“This is a fundamental insult to the American worker and the American way of life.”
ASU officials in the statement said it complies with federal law and that the university is proud of all talent.
“ASU has hired the talent needed to perform these functions and has done so in complete compliance with existing United States policy and law,” a spokesperson said.
Madeline Bates joined Independent Newsmedia in 2025 as a Phoenix/Tempe reporter. Before graduating college, she spent a semester in Washington as a Congressional reporter in the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. But local news is where her heart is. She is excited to be in Phoenix full time and exploring new parts of the city (as long as they have AC).
Community: After living in East Phoenix for two years, she fell in love with Paradise Valley, Mesa, Tempe, and everywhere in between. She recently discovered the beauty of the South Mountain Reserve and hopes to continue exploring should the weather comply.
Education: Madeline has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a certificate in Political History and Leadership.
Random Fact: She is a self-taught nail tech. No, she cannot do your nails.
Hobbies: Hiking (when its not 100 degrees), fiction writing, cooking, baking and trying new coffee shops.
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