Matthew Ariwoola at the University of South Carolina
Photo by A Hanus
When Matthew Ariwoola learned that U.S. immigration officials had revoked his student status in the spring of 2025, he worried that his work at the University of South Carolina had been in vain.
Matthew is a citizen of Nigeria. He came to USC to pursue a PhD in chemistry. With less than a year left in his program, he suddenly faced the prospect of being arrested and deported, leaving him with nothing to show for his work. He decided to stay and challenge the government’s actions with a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of South Carolina on April 18, 2025.
“I’ve been looking forward to becoming a doctor and becoming a professor so I can train other generations that come after me,” he said recently. “If I had stopped after four years of this effort, it would amount to nothing.”
Matthew Ariwoola had a lot on the line when he filed the lawsuit. His family was depending on him, and so were the classes of undergraduate chemistry students he taught.
The stakes of Matthew’s research were high, too. His research helps make medications more effective by stabilizing the chemical compounds that can effectively carry drugs to targeted sites in the body. The compounds he works with are expensive and can decompose, and if he were forced to stop or delay his work, months’ worth of valuable research could be lost.
A federal judge issued a restraining order and preliminary injunction against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ordering them to take no further action to remove Ariwoola from the country. In the meantime, he continued his work.
Matthew Ariwoola’s persistence paid off. In December 2025, he completed his PhD program.
Now he is Doctor Matthew Ariwoola.
Dr. Matthew Ariwoola.
Photo by A Hanus
“I feel a lot of relief within me. I feel so good,” he said. The title of his dissertation is "Studies of Zwitterionic Metal Complexes: Reactions of Alkynes with Metal Carbonyl Compounds and Neutral Nucleophiles."
U.S. colleges and universities host approximately 1.2 million international students. Like many of those students, Dr. Ariwoola entered the country through an F-1 student visa. Dr. Ariwoola was also one of more than 1,500 international students who had their student status revoked in April 2025.
The closest thing he got to an explanation was a cryptic message via the Student & Exchange Visitor Information System saying, “Individual identified in criminal records check and/or has had their VISA revoked.” But Dr. Ariwoola has never been convicted of a crime — not even a traffic ticket. To this day, ICE and DHS have not explained their actions against him. His 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.
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.
Dr. Ariwoola still wants to teach the next generation of scientists, and he has a message to share.
“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.”
