US: Nigerian, other foreign students told to carry immigration papers as crackdown tightens

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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.