GW Weekly Federal Update (August 21)

GW Update

• In the August 14 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported actions the Trump Administration has taken to increase the federal law enforcement presence and deploy the National Guard in the District of Columbia. The university continues to monitor the situation. While we do not anticipate direct impacts to our operations at this time, you may notice increased law enforcement presence in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, as well as across the District.
  
  The university will continue to share updates through the D.C. Federalization page on Campus Advisories. This page provides a list of frequently asked questions, including guidance for international students, and safety resources.

Recent Federal Actions

• According to media reports, the State Department has revoked more than 6,000 student visas, the bulk of them for crimes such as assault, driving under the influence and burglary. Several hundred student visas were revoked because of “support for terrorism.”
   
• According to media reports, on August 15, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya ordered an internal review “of all current and planned research activities, including active grants and funding opportunity announcements.” The review order was accompanied by a public statement identifying NIH priorities, including research on artificial intelligence, autism, and “ensuring evidence-based health care for children and teenagers identifying as transgender.” The statement was critical of “research based on ideologies that promote differential treatment of people based on race or ethnicity, rely on poorly defined concepts or on unfalsifiable theories.”
   
• On August 14, the U.S. District Court in Maryland invalidated two Trump Administration actions relating to DEI programs at educational institutions. The court concluded that the Department of Education’s threat to cut federal funding to schools and universities that engage in “race-based decision-making,” among other things, did not comply with the notice and comment procedural requirements under the Administrative Procedures Act. The court did not rule on the underlying legality of the directives themselves.
   
• On August 14, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the Trump Administration could not replace D.C.’s Chief of Police, Pamela A. Smith, leaving her in command while broader questions about federal authority under the 1973 Home Rule Act proceed in court. The Department of Justice withdrew a provision naming the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration as “emergency police commissioner” but preserved significant parts of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s order, including language allowing federal officials to direct the mayor to provide law enforcement resources in support of Administration priorities such as immigration enforcement and the removal of homeless encampments. On August 15, Bondi issued a new memo directing the Metropolitan Police Department to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. At the same time, 869 National Guard troops remain deployed in the District, with additional forces expected from Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia at the request of the Trump Administration. Troops have so far been concentrated around the National Mall, monuments, and other tourist areas, and Army officials said deployments will expand to several metro stations including Foggy Bottom, Farragut West, Smithsonian, Eastern Market, and Waterfront.
   
• The American Council on Education (ACE) is urging the Department of Education to provide clear, timely guidance as it implements the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” ACE called on the Department to publish a comprehensive list of degree programs eligible for higher loan limits, provide detailed instructions on new repayment plans and Pell Grant packaging rules, and ensure public access to earnings data used in the law’s new accountability system. ACE also raised concerns about the Department’s reduced staffing capacity, warning that without additional resources institutions could face further delays, compliance challenges, and disruptions for students.
   
• On August 19, the Department of Education issued new guidance which rescinded prior guidance that had allowed Federal Work-Study (FWS) funds to pay students for certain political activities, including voter registration, poll working, and staffing voter hotlines. In a press release, Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent stated that “Federal Work Study is meant to provide students opportunities to gain real-world experience that prepares them to succeed in the workforce, not as a way to fund political activism on our college and university campuses.” The guidance also explained the Department’s interpretation of Higher Education Act (HEA) requirements, clarifying that institutions must make a “good faith” effort to distribute voter registration forms but are not required to provide them to students they know are ineligible to vote, such as international students.
   
• On August 18, the Department of Education released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to revise the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, following an executive order issued by President Trump. The proposed rule would exclude borrowers from PSLF eligibility if their employer is deemed to have a “substantial illegal purpose,” such as “supporting terrorism, aiding or abetting discrimination or violations of immigration laws, or child abuse.” A Department press release said the change is intended to prevent taxpayer dollars from being “improperly provided” to organizations that do not serve the public good. The Department projects $1.5 billion in budget savings from narrowing eligibility. Student advocates and higher education groups raised concerns that the definition of “illegal purpose” is overly broad, potentially affecting employers engaged in activities like gender-affirming care, diversity and inclusion programs or sanctuary policies. Advocates warn the rule could discourage graduates from entering public service fields and create staffing shortages in high-demand, low-wage careers. Public comment on the proposed rule is open through September 17. If finalized, the proposed rule would become effective on July 1, 2026.
   
• As reported in the August 14 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, President Trump directed the Department of Education to expand required reporting of higher education admissions data. On August 15, the Department published a notice in the Federal Register outlining its proposal to require all four-year institutions with selective admissions to report undergraduate and graduate applicant data by race and sex, including retroactive reporting for the past five years “to establish a baseline of admissions practices from before the Supreme Court decision in SFFA v. Harvard.” The Department is seeking feedback on the proposal, including the burden of compiling this data, through October 14.
   
• On August 15, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it would begin the process of suspending or terminating federal funding to five Northern Virginia school districts, in response to the districts’ decision to not change their policies that allow transgender students to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. The dispute centers around whether such policies violate Title IX and other federal and state discrimination laws.
   
• On August 19, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memo instructing officers to apply a more “rigorous, holistic and comprehensive” review of naturalization applicants’ “good moral character.” “Good moral character” has been a requirement for citizenship since the Naturalization Act of 1790, but the new guidance emphasizes assessing applicants’ broader contributions to society in addition to legal compliance. USCIS said the approach is intended to ensure officers account for applicants’ overall behavior, adherence to societal norms, and positive contributions such as family caregiving, community involvement, educational attainment and financial responsibility. Critics warn that the expanded standard could introduce greater subjectivity into the naturalization process and make it harder for immigrants to secure citizenship.
   

Resources and Reminders

About this Newsletter

To ensure that students, faculty and staff feel supported and informed about how federal developments affect higher education and GW, the university launched a weekly Federal Update. This newsletter shares timely information, addresses questions and provides resources.