The Trump administration is suspending Microsoft, Adobe, and several other technology companies from participating in a program that helps highly skilled foreign employees obtain permanent residency in the United States, and accusing these companies of fraudulent activities.

According to Reuters, U.S. Vice President JD Pence said at a press conference on Thursday: "The message we want to convey to Microsoft is: you are a great American company, but you must hire great American workers."

Other companies that have been suspended from participating in this project include Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys, Tata, and Wipro. U.S. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling stated that the government will no longer accept any new or pending permanent labor certification applications involving these companies.

The H-1B visa is intended for highly specialized positions, that is, jobs which employers may have difficulty filling with qualified American workers. According to The Associated Press, technology companies are among the largest users of this program, with nearly three-quarters of the approved visas going to employees from India.

Wans also stated that the government will investigate nine universities, including Harvard University, Yale University, and Stanford University, on the grounds that these institutions are alleged to have abused a program that allows international students to come to the United States, and used this program to suppress the wages of American workers.

Microsoft and Adobe did not immediately respond to requests for comment.