USC international student who faced deportation completes PhD in chemistry

COLUMBIA – Matthew Ariwoola, an international student at the University of South Carolina who faced deportation after the Trump administration revoked his student status in the spring of 2025, has completed his PhD in chemistry while challenging his own deportation in court.

“I’ve been looking forward to becoming a doctor and becoming a professor so I can train other generations that come after me. If I had stopped after four years of this effort, it would amount to nothing,” said Dr. Matthew Ariwoola. “I feel a lot of relief within me. I feel so good.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina represents Dr. Ariwoola in his ongoing case in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Ariwoola v. Noem.

Dr. Ariwoola is still living in Columbia as the legal case continues. He hopes to continue his postgraduate work at USC through Optional Practical Training (OPT). Without the reinstatement of his student record, as was ordered by the Court, he would not be able to do that.

USC conferred Dr. Ariwoola with his doctoral degree in chemistry on December 15, 2025. His research focuses on making medications more effective by stabilizing the chemical compounds that can effectively carry drugs to targeted sites in the body. The title of his dissertation is "Studies of Zwitterionic Metal Complexes: Reactions of Alkynes with Metal Carbonyl Compounds and Neutral Nucleophiles."

Matthew is a citizen of Nigeria who came to USC on an F-1 student visa. On April 4, 2025, with less than a year left in his program, he received a notification via the Student & Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) that his student status had been revoked. He was also one of more than 1,500 international students who had their student status revoked that month.

To this day, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have not explained their actions against Dr. Ariwoola. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against ICE and DHS on June 13, 2025, ordering them to take no further action to remove Ariwoola from the country. Dr. Ariwoola’s case against the government is ongoing.

“Dr. Ariwoola’s achievement is a testament not only to his brilliance but also to his courage and willingness to stand up for what is right. We are very proud to represent him,” said ACLU of South Carolina Staff Attorney Meredith McPhail.

“Whatever you set your heart to do, make sure you do it. Don’t give up,” Dr. Ariwoola said. “If it’s a good cause, keep working on it, keep pushing. You will get it. You will get it.”

To learn more about Dr. Ariwoola’s ongoing lawsuit, see our case page for Ariwoola v. Noem.