The Trump administration is moving to impose new restrictions on international students seeking authorization to participate in certain internships and practical training programs in the United States. Universities that fail to comply with the rules could also risk losing their authorization to enroll international students. Reuters reported the development.

In a memorandum issued on August 24, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), under US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said it had recently identified cases involving Curricular Practical Training (CPT) that could potentially violate existing regulations.

The memorandum states that CPT should be approved only when the practical training is an integral part of an established curriculum at the student’s institution. It also warned that educational institutions could lose their authorization to enroll international students if they fail to comply with the applicable regulations.

Following the guidance, several universities, including the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California, Berkeley, have temporarily suspended the processing of certain work authorization applications for international students.

A UCLA spokesperson said the university had temporarily paused some CPT approvals while reviewing the latest federal guidance and determining its next steps.

UC Berkeley’s International Office said the August 24 memorandum was more specific, direct and restrictive in nature than previous guidance.

The US government had issued another memorandum on the issue earlier in August.

Berkeley’s International Office said it expected that applications for certain types of work authorization might not be processed in the near future. It advised international students to plan accordingly.

However, applications for practical training required as part of a degree program will continue to be processed normally, the university said. The institution also said it would continue processing practical training applications directly related to PhD research and graduate thesis work.

Berkeley also said it would consult legal experts as it develops new procedures to ensure compliance with the latest federal guidance.

The Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, said the regulations themselves had not been changed. However, it warned universities and employers that the Trump administration would no longer tolerate what it described as abuse of the program.

The Trump administration has already launched investigations into several US universities and threatened to cut off federal funding over a range of issues, including pro-Palestinian protests, diversity programs, climate initiatives and gender-related policies.

Civil rights advocates have expressed concern that such measures could undermine freedom of expression, academic freedom and due process.

At the same time, as part of the administration’s broader push against diversity policies, the US Justice Department has raised allegations concerning the admissions process at George Washington University’s medical and health sciences programs.

On Thursday, the Justice Department accused the university of giving preferential treatment to Black and Hispanic applicants in its admissions process. The department said the allegations were based on information uncovered during an investigation.

The university rejected the allegations, saying it was disappointed by the Justice Department’s decision. It said its admissions policies comply with the law and that the process does not discriminate against applicants.

The Justice Department has previously made similar allegations against several other educational institutions. The department said it would seek to resolve the disputes through negotiations and warned that it could file lawsuits if those efforts fail.

The Trump administration has also revoked the visas of several international students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests. The administration has described some of the demonstrations as antisemitic and sympathetic to extremist groups.

Jewish organizations that participated in the protests, along with other civil rights advocates, have rejected that characterization. They argue that opposing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories does not constitute antisemitism. They also say that supporting Palestinian rights should not be equated with support for extremism.