Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday that the Trump administration will begin revoking the visas of Chinese students studying in the United States.
The May 28 statement described the federal government's intent to "put America first, not China" by “aggressively” targeting the visas of Chinese students pursuing an education at American universities, such as Penn. The announcement comes amid ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China, and follows a broader effort by the administration to restrict the enrollment of international students across the country.
"Under President Trump’s leadership, the U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields," Rubio wrote. "We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong."
Requests for comment were left with a university spokesperson and the Penn Chinese Students Association.
Nora Lewis, the School of Arts and Sciences' vice dean for professional and liberal education, noted that the recent announcements are "definitely of concern" for Penn's College of Liberal and Professional Studies, which "run[s] the summer sessions for arts and sciences," in an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian.
"I would not pretend to understand at this point," Lewis said. "I don't think any of us understand exactly what they mean and what actions will be taken. But we care deeply about our international students and scholars, students from China, but also students from all over the world."
Lewis also runs summer programs for high schoolers, along with the University's English Language Programs. She noted how international students, "both high school students and university students," benefit the Penn community and "enrich the campus."
"We have very long relationships, in many cases, with their home universities, and many of them are children of Penn alumni," Lewis said. "They're a vibrant part of our campus, our community, [and] our school."
She emphasized the ongoing effort to "offer support" to students by "forwarding or re-sharing advice from International Student Scholar Services," despite not "know[ing] a whole lot right now."
The announcement comes after the Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard University’s certification to host international students, citing an “unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students,” as well as “pro-Hamas sympathies” and “racist” diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
In response, Vice Provost for Global Initiatives Ezekiel Emanuel and Associate Vice Provost for Global Initiatives Amy Gadsden sent an email to international students and scholars reaffirming the University's support for international students and calling the action against Harvard “deeply concerning.”
The University has also acknowledged that a State Department directive pausing student visa interviews at U.S. embassies could delay arrivals for incoming international students. In a May 28 email to newly admitted international students, Emanuel and Gadsden wrote that Penn “will work flexibly” with students who may experience “arrival delays” due to the halt in visa interview scheduling.
Currently, Penn is home to 9,143 international students and scholars. According to a press release from Penn Admissions, the Class of 2029 includes students from over 100 countries and all 50 states. While Penn does not publish exact numbers by nationality, 37% of international students enrolled in the Class of 2027 come from Asia.
