At least three Penn-affiliated individuals have had their F-1 student visas terminated per an update from Penn’s International Student and Scholar Services.
The students’ SEVIS immigration records were deactivated, disabling them from receiving student visa status updates. F-1 visa recipients have been targeted by the Trump administration’s crackdown on international students at U.S. universities.
In May, the Trump administration temporarily paused visa interviews for international students, though these resumed a month later with additional required social media checks. This followed Trump’s attempt to ban outright international students from attending Harvard University.
A spokesperson from ISSS, though unable to comment on the specific cases, confirmed that these terminations were unrelated to campus protests.
According to U.S. News and World Report, international students make up around 6% of U.S. universities. At Penn, 19% of the student body are exchange students, according to the U.S. News & World Report.
Much of the cultural and ethnic diversity at Penn can be attributed to international exchange students. 37% of students are from Asia, 23% from Europe, and 15% from Africa and the Middle East.
The diversity within the student body of Penn contributes to a variety of perspectives and traditions on campus. Events that celebrate such diversity include the Festival of Nations, CultureFest, and cultural shows and dances like African Rhythms, Penn’s premier African dance troupe, or Penn Masala, a nationally-known South Asian a capella group.
