The University of Pennsylvania’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) has reiterated guidance instructing foreign students to carry their immigration documents.
According to a Feb. 18 email obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian, ISSS emphasized the importance of carrying specific documentation and outlined how students and scholars should respond if approached by law enforcement.
The email also directed community members to support resources offered by Penn’s Division of Public Safety (DPS).
“As an international student or scholar at Penn, you are lawfully present in the United States,” the email read.
A request for comment was left with an ISSS spokesperson.
ISSS advised international students and scholars traveling within Philadelphia to carry photocopies of relevant documents, including an “unexpired passport biographical page,” a visa page, and updated paperwork such as the I-20 and I-94 forms.
For students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) — a temporary work authorization that allows F-1 visa students to work in the United States after graduating — ISSS recommended carrying digital copies of their “EAD Card and OPT I-20,” along with a USCIS approval notice if applicable. Permanent residents were also advised to carry a copy of their green card.
The guidance noted that international students traveling outside Philadelphia should carry originals, rather than photocopies, of their immigration documentation.
The email further advised international community members to “remain calm, respectful and responsive” to requests if approached by law enforcement officers.
The message instructed students to memorize and save the Division of Public Safety’s contact number and assured them that those services are “available at any time, on or off campus — including while traveling within the United States or abroad.”
ISSS also warned students to stay alert to immigration-related scams, particularly those that “demand payment” or request “personal information.”
“If a call feels suspicious, hang up and contact DPS,” the email read.
The advisory marks the latest in a series of guidance updates issued by ISSS amid shifting U.S. immigration policies. In June 2025, the United States implemented a travel ban restricting entry for individuals from a dozen countries, prompting Penn ISSS to urge affected students to return to the U.S. as soon as possible. In December 2025, the office advised students impacted by expanded federal entry restrictions to avoid nonessential international travel and consult advisors before leaving the country.
Last month, hundreds of people gathered in Center City to protest the deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to Minneapolis. Shortly afterward, Philadelphia councilmembers introduced legislation aimed at limiting the activities of federal immigration agents in the city.
“For non-emergency questions, contact your ISSS advisor,” the email read. “For urgent concerns, call DPS first.”
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