Some Penn State International Students Have Visas Restored

The visas of some Penn State international students have been restored after they were revoked by the Trump administration in recent weeks, the university confirmed in a statement.

Penn State did not disclose how many visas had been reinstated, nor has it said how many have been revoked.

“The University is aware that the government has started reactivating the SEVIS status of some students whose status had previously been terminated,” the university wrote in a statement. “Penn State Global’s International Student and Scholar Advising is closely monitoring SEVIS and has been in contact with those Penn State students whose status has been reactivated.”

A U.S. Justice Department attorney said in federal court last week that lawful status records would be restored in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information Systems, or SEVIS, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement develops a new policy that will “provide a framework” for terminations, according to the Associated Press.

At least 1,220 students at 187 colleges and universities had their visas revoked or legal status otherwise terminated since late March, according to the AP. Well over 100 lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration over the abrupt terminations, and judges had issued dozens of restraining orders to reinstate them.

Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna said he was aware of at least 22 Penn State students in the county who had their visas revoked. Most had been charged with shoplifting, while two were charged with DUI and one with possession of a small amount of marijuana.

None had been convicted of a crime and had either been accepted into a diversionary program that would result in no criminal record upon completion or had not even gone to court yet when their legal status was terminated.

Penn State has offered support and guidance to affected students, and Interim Provost Tracy Langkilde wrote that the situation is “causing great anxiety and distress for each individual affected, and for our broader community.”

Penn State’s immigration-related guidance for international students is online at govt.psu.edu/community-updates and global.psu.edu/article/international-students-scholars-and-faculty-immigration-resources.