Restrictions on internships for foreign students: what will change under Trump’s new move?
Picture: Reuters
The Trump administration has further tightened the rules for international students studying in the United States. A new directive seeks to limit work authorization for certain internships. Universities could also lose their authorization to enroll foreign students if they fail to comply with the rules. Several universities including UCLA and UC Berkeley have already suspended the processing of certain applications for work authorization.
A memorandum dated August 24 said the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had observed an increase in approvals for Curricular Practical Training (CPT). Some of these approvals appear to be “not consistent with the regulations.” Under the rules CPT can only be approved when it is an integral part of an established curriculum.
The memorandum said, “Failure to comply with SEVP regulations may result in an institution losing its authorization to enroll foreign students.”
Following the memorandum some universities suspended the processing of certain applications for work authorization for international students. These include the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley).
A UCLA spokesperson said, “While UCLA reviews the recent federal guidance and determines next steps UCLA has paused approval of certain curriculum based practical training.”
UC Berkeley’s International Office said the August 24 memorandum is “more focused on specific issues more direct and more restrictive in its content than before.” The federal government had also issued another memorandum in mid-August.
UC Berkeley’s International Office said certain applications for work authorization are “unlikely to be processed in the near future.” It advised affected international students to plan accordingly.
However, the office said CPT applications related to “meeting degree requirements” will continue to be processed under normal procedures. Processing of CPT applications related to “doctoral dissertation and master’s thesis research” will also resume. The office said it would consult legal experts to develop new procedures that comply with the new federal requirements.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security which oversees ICE said in a statement, “None of these rules have changed. However, universities and employers are being warned that abuse of this generous system will no longer be tolerated under President Trump.”
Trump has threatened investigations and funding cuts against universities over various issues including pro Palestine protests opposition to Israel’s attacks in Gaza which is a US ally initiative to ensure equal rights climate programs and transgender policies. Rights activists have raised concerns about freedom of expression academic freedom and due process.
Separately the US Department of Justice on Thursday accused George Washington University and its health sciences school of giving preferential treatment to Black and Hispanic applicants in admissions. The allegation was made based on the findings of an investigation as the Trump administration continues its campaign against initiatives aimed at ensuring equal rights.
The university said, “We are disappointed by the Department of Justice’s decision. We believe the decision is incorrect.” It also said its admissions policies were conducted in accordance with the law and did not discriminate against anyone.
The Justice Department has made similar allegations of bias against several other universities. It said it wants to negotiate settlements to resolve the matters. The department also said it would file lawsuits if those efforts fail.
The Trump administration has also revoked the visas of students who participated in pro Palestine protests. The administration has described the protests as anti-Semitic and sympathetic to extremists.
However, protesters and some Jewish organizations have said that opposing Israel’s attacks in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories is not anti Semitism. They also said speaking in support of Palestinian rights is not equivalent to supporting extremism.
