Visa revocations linked to pro-Palestinian activism sparks faculty protest
Photo Credit: Sarah Mester
By Sarah Mester
Author’s Note: Due to new information, this article has been updated since its original publishing on April 7th, 2025.
The Daily Pennsylvanian reported on the morning of April 7 that the visas of at least three Penn students had been revoked according to an email from the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).
In an update also posted on April 7, ISSS stated that they were aware that three “people on Penn-sponsored student visas” had had their immigration status deactivated. It was also noted that it appeared that the revocations were related to immigration status violations and not the 2024 campus protests. “ICE agents have NOT been present on campus in connection with these cases” the statement noted and the University is “assisting those impacted with resources and guidance.”
300 international students across the country have had their visas revoked, including one student at Temple University. Involvement in the pro-Palestinian movement is often cited as the reason for which student’s visas are revoked. Penn was the site of a number of protests, including an encampment on the College Green and a teach-in in College Hall. Critics have condemned the move as encroaching on free speech, but the Trump Administration has defended the policy as going after foreign students who have advocated for U.S.-designated terrorist groups like Hamas.
Sarah Mester is a senior in the College studying Political Science and Classics from San Francisco, CA. She’s the News Editor for The Pennsylvania Post. Her email is smester@sas.upenn.edu.