A new Trump administration warning is rippling through US campuses, prompting some universities to hit pause on certain work authorisations for international students as federal officials signal a tougher line on internship programmes tied to academic study.
In a memo issued to universities, President Donald Trump’s administration moved to restrict the issuance of some internship-related work authorisations for foreign students, cautioning that colleges that fail to comply could lose the ability to enroll international students.
The memo, dated 24 August, said the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) — part of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency — has “observed a rise in Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorisations that appear to violate regulatory requirements which permit CPT only where the training is an integral part of an established curriculum.”
“Failure to comply with SEVP regulations may result in an institution losing certification to enroll foreign students,” the memo said.
The notice has already affected campus operations. Some colleges, including the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley, have paused certain applications for work authorisations for international students.
“UCLA has paused certain Curricular Practical Training authorisations while it reviews recent federal guidance and determines next steps,” a UCLA spokesperson said.
UC Berkeley’s international office said the 24 August memo was “more narrow in focus, more direct, and includes content that is more restrictive in nature.”
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The 24 August directive followed an earlier memo issued by the federal government in mid-August.
UC Berkeley’s international office said it is unlikely that it will process certain work authorisation applications “in the near future” and urged those international students to plan accordingly.
It said it will continue processing “degree-requirement” CPT as normal and would resume processing “Doctoral Dissertation and Master’s Thesis Research CPT.”
The office said it would consult legal experts to develop new processes aligning with new federal requirements.
“Nothing about these regulations has changed,” the Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent, said in a statement.
“However, schools and employers should consider themselves on notice: under President Trump, abuse of this generous system will no longer be tolerated.”
The warning lands amid a broader campaign by Mr Trump that has put universities under scrutiny through probes and funding threats, including over pro-Palestinian protests against US ally Israel’s assault on Gaza, as well as diversity initiatives, climate programme and transgender policies.
Rights advocates have raised free speech, academic freedom and due process concerns.
In a separate matter, the US Justice Department alleged that admissions practices at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Services favoured Black and Hispanic applicants, citing findings of a probe as the Trump administration continued its diversity crackdown.
“We are disappointed by the DOJ’s conclusions, which we believe are incorrect,” the university said, adding that its admissions policies complied with the law and were not discriminatory.
The Justice Department has made similar bias allegations at other third level institutions and said it is seeking settlement talks. If those efforts fail, the department will file suit, it said.
Mr Trump’s administration has also revoked visas of student protesters over pro-Palestinian protests that it casts as antisemitic and sympathetic to extremists.
Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say opposition to Israel’s assault on Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories is not anti-Semitic and advocacy for Palestinian rights is not the same as supporting extremism.
