(Credit: Temple University Facebook Page)
More Philadelphia college students have had their visas revoked, according to school officials.
Temple University President John Fry issued a communication to the campus community on Monday that said recent visa revocations have affected several current and former students, reflecting a broader pattern impacting area universities.
More than half a dozen international students in Pennsylvania – including at least three at the University of Pennsylvania – have had their U.S. visas abruptly canceled by federal authorities in recent weeks.
Temple confirmed this week that multiple students have been caught up in the visa revocations. Fry said in a letter to the the Temple community that “several current and former Temple students have had their visas revoked” over the past week."
The visa cancellations were executed by the office of the U.S. Department of State, according to Fry’s letter.
Temple did not disclose exactly how many students were affected, citing privacy, but emphasized that the news is “unsettling not just for the impacted individuals but for our entire community."
Earlier this month, Temple had already reported one international student’s visa revocation, after which that student self-deported (left the country voluntarily) when the issue came to light.
At the University of Pennsylvania, at least three international students have also had their visas revoked by the federal government.
Penn administrators said they learned of the status changes through routine checks of the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database.
A statement from Penn’s International Student and Scholar Services office noted that the visa terminations were “related to immigration status violations” and not connected to student protests on campus in 2024.
The university added that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents “have NOT been present on campus in connection with these cases," addressing fears that immigration officials might have arrived unannounced. However, Penn’s message acknowledged reports that some affected students in Philadelphia have had encounters with ICE agents off campus.
Beyond Philadelphia, other Pennsylvania schools are reporting similar issues. In Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University said two current students and five recent graduates had their international visas revoked recently as well.
And in an announcement Thursday, Harvard University revealed a total of 12 students and alumni had lost their visas, underscoring that the phenomenon is not isolated to one campus.
The visa cancellations have been typically discovered during routine monitoring of student visa records rather than through direct federal notification.
University officials say the visa revocations have been carried out by the U.S. State Department under its broad authority to cancel visas for those deemed ineligible.
In practice, schools are being alerted to changes in a student’s status via updates in the SEVIS database managed by the Department of Homeland Security.
Both Temple and Penn have emphasized that no immigration enforcement agents have appeared on their campuses in relation to these cases, and each institution has established protocols in case ICE or Customs and Border Protection officers do seek access.
Penn’s ISSS office is now monitoring the SEVIS system twice daily and immediately notifying any student if their visa is revoked, a university spokesperson told the Daily Pennsylvanian. Many students impacted by the sudden cancellations have reported receiving no direct notice from federal agencies, learning of their visa termination only through their schools’ alerts.
Campus leaders say they are mobilizing resources to assist international students whose visas have been terminated. Temple’s Office of Global Engagement has been in regular contact with the affected students, who are consulting with attorneys to determine next steps.
“We deeply value all international members of our community, and we are committed to doing all we lawfully can to assist in circumstances like this,” Fry assured in his message.
At Penn, officials likewise pledged to provide support and guidance. “We want to reassure the community that we are monitoring and investigating all reports and providing appropriate support to people when these incidents arise,” Penn’s ISSS said in its April 7 statement.
The university called the situation “extremely unsettling” for international students and vowed to keep them informed of recent immigration policy changes that might affect their status.
Both universities have encouraged any students with concerns about their visa status to reach out to campus international student offices for help.
Local elected officials and faculty have also begun voicing concern, with some calling the trend draconian and urging federal authorities to reinstate the students’ statuses.
The wave of visa revocations at Philadelphia-area universities comes amid a nationwide crackdown on foreign students following campus political protests.
In February, President Donald Trump – an alumnus of Penn’s Wharton School – signed an executive order directing federal agencies to identify and deport non-citizens, including students, who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
The State Department has since revoked hundreds of student visas across the country, by one account targeting individuals involved in campus activism related to the Israel-Hamas war.
“Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late last month, referring to foreign protesters on U.S. campuses.
Two high-profile cases underscore the new policy’s reach: a Columbia University graduate and a Tufts University doctoral student – both outspoken about Israel’s military actions in Gaza – were detained by ICE and had their visas revoked in March.
Both are now in deportation proceedings, though a federal judge recently halted the deportation of the Tufts student amid arguments that her First Amendment rights were violated.
University administrators in Philadelphia stop short of linking the local visa terminations to campus protests, maintaining that the official reason is immigration “status violations."
Nevertheless, the timing aligns with the broader federal initiative to root out foreign student protesters. As the policy debate unfolds, Penn and Temple say their priority is to support affected students and ensure they can navigate the rapidly changing immigration landscape safely and lawfully.
