COLUMBIA, S.C. โ The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of South Carolina has taken up the case of a University of South Carolina (USC) fourth-year PhD student who is now facing the threat of arrest and deportation after the US Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) “suddenly and unilaterally” revoked his F-1 student status.
Matthew Ariwoola, a 32-year-old citizen of Nigeria, has been pursuing a doctorate degree in chemistry at USC, studying ways to make medications more effective, and teaching four undergraduate chemistry classes. He was on track to graduate this December and had been supporting his family through the stipend he receives from the PhD program.
According to the suits filed in US District Court by the ACLU of South Carolina โ the first a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief, the second a temporary restraining order โ against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Todd Lyons, Acting Director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), on April 8, 2025, Ariwoola was informed by USC staff that he as unable to continue studying and teaching due to his immigration status.
Ariwoola had come to the United States through an F-1 student visa, monitored through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Typically, a student granted an F-1 visa and F-1 status is allowed to remain in the country as long as they continue to meet requirements, such as maintaining a full course of study, avoiding unauthorized employment, and committing no crime. The only reason Ariwoola was given for the revocation of his F-1 status is โOTHER โ Individual identified in criminal records check and/or has had their VISA revoked. SEVIS record has been terminated.โ
Ariwoola has never been convicted of a crime, never received a traffic ticket. His only encounter with American law enforcement came, he says, in 2023 when he was arrested on a Georgia warrant, despite never having been to Georgia and never having met the accuser. The prosecutor in that case dismissed all charges after reviewing the case.
The ACLU lawsuits spell out the harm facing Ariwoola with the termination of his SEVIS record โ he will not be able to graduate as planned and will lose years of important research.
Jeff Stensland, a spokesperson for USC, said in a statement: โWe are aware of the lawsuit filed by Mr. Ariwoola and can confirm several international students at the University of South Carolina have had their SEVIS non-immigrant status terminated and/or Visa revoked by federal agencies. This is consistent with what other international students at higher education institutions across the nation are experiencing. Each of our students has individualized circumstances and concerns related to these actions. We are in direct contact with impacted students and have been actively advising them. In compliance with student privacy laws, and in the interest of the affected students, we cannot share additional details at this time.โ
Allen Chaney, Legal Director of the ACLU of South Carolina, said, โMatthew is yet another victim of the Trump administrationโs haphazard and flagrantly unconstitutional dragnet of our international students. Itโs hard to see how ejecting a hardworking and law-abiding doctoral student is anything but the product of an unmasked hatred of non-Americans. No one is better off if Matthew is deported, no one.โ
The lawsuits allege Ariwoola was offered no opportunity to contest the decision, DHS violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights. It also alleges that DHSโs actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act. Ariwoola is asking the court to restore his valid F-1 student status so that he can continue to study at USC.
Hours after filing the temporary restraining order, US District Judge Jacquelyn D. Austin granted the order.
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