[brudgers]

In the US, internships have a legal status under employment law.

Companies may legally have unpaid interns on staff.

But internships must be part of a credentialed academic program.

Otherwise, minimum wage laws apply and having unpaid staff is a violation of labor law.

For context though, the US has a very accessible system of higher education via community/junior colleges.

Also for context, the ability to work unpaid in a professional setting has always had a strong correlation with class. It is also alive and well within creative fields despite its illegality.

Yes the world is full of gatekeepers, if you want an internship you've bought into that system.

Good luck.