Several institutions have suspended student‑run publications focused on Black and women students, citing a Department of Justice memo that warned against ‘unlawful proxies’ for race or sex. University administrators told magazine staff that the publications did not comply with recent guidance and paused operations while they assess legal risk. University of Alabama officials specifically cited the DOJ memo when informing staff at two outlets that they could not continue under current structures. Critics—student journalists, free‑speech advocates and faculty—say the suspensions chill campus discourse and may violate First Amendment protections for student media. Campus communications and student‑life offices should anticipate more administrative reviews of affinity publications and prepare for legal and public‑relations challenges tied to federal guidance and state policy shifts.