President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a memo for universities that seeks to limit the issuance of sure internship work authorisations for worldwide college students, because the federal authorities warned that schools not complying with the rules could lose certification to enroll international college students.
| Photograph Credit score: AP
President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a memo for universities that seeks to limit the issuance of sure internship work authorisations for worldwide college students, because the federal authorities warned that schools not complying with the rules could lose certification to enroll international college students.
The federal memo dated August 24 stated the Pupil and Alternate Customer Program, which is a part of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement company, has “noticed an increase in Curricular Sensible Coaching (CPT) authorisations that seem to violate regulatory necessities which allow CPT solely the place the coaching is an integral half of a longtime curriculum.”
“Failure to adjust to SEVP rules could lead to an establishment dropping certification to enroll international college students,” the memo stated.
It resulted in some faculties, together with the College of California, Los Angeles and the College of California, Berkeley, pausing sure functions for work authorizations for worldwide college students.
“UCLA has paused sure Curricular Sensible Coaching authorisations whereas it opinions latest federal steering and determines subsequent steps,” a UCLA spokesperson stated.
UC Berkeley’s worldwide workplace stated the August 24 memo was “extra slender in focus, extra direct, and consists of content material that’s extra restrictive in nature.” The federal authorities had additionally issued an earlier memo in mid-August.
The UC Berkeley worldwide workplace stated it’s extending the pause for sure work authorizations for worldwide college students for “the foreseeable future.” It stated it can proceed processing “degree-requirement” CPT as regular and would resume processing “Doctoral Dissertation and Grasp’s Thesis Analysis CPT.”
The workplace stated it could seek the advice of with authorized specialists to develop new processes that align with new federal necessities.
“Nothing about these rules has modified,” the Division of Homeland Safety, ICE’s dad or mum, stated in a press release. “Nevertheless, faculties and employers ought to think about themselves on discover: below President Trump, abuse of this beneficiant system will not be tolerated.”
Mr. Trump has focused universities with probes and funding threats over points like pro-Palestinian protests towards U.S. ally Israel’s assault on Gaza, variety initiatives, local weather packages and transgender insurance policies.
Rights advocates have raised free speech, tutorial freedom and due course of issues.
Individually, the U.S. Justice Division alleged on Thursday admissions practices on the George Washington College Faculty of Medication and Well being Providers favored Black and Hispanic candidates, citing findings of a probe because the Trump administration continued its variety crackdown.
“We’re upset by the DOJ’s conclusions, which we consider are incorrect,” the college stated, saying the admissions insurance policies had been in compliance with legislation and never discriminatory.
The Justice Division has alleged comparable bias at different faculties, saying the division goals for settlement talks. If these efforts fail, the division will file swimsuit, it stated.
Mr. Trump’s administration has additionally revoked the visas of scholar protesters over pro-Palestinian protests that it casts as antisemitic and sympathetic to extremists.
Protesters, together with some Jewish teams, say opposition to Israel’s assault on Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories is not antisemitic and advocacy for Palestinian rights just isn’t the identical as supporting extremism.
Printed – August 28, 2026 09:15 am IST
