She just started her doctorate in physics. Now she’s worried she could be deported

  • Date: 09-Jul-2020
  • Source: CNBC
  • Sector:Education
  • Country:Oman
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She just started her doctorate in physics. Now she’s worried she could be deported

Michelle Wang

Source: Michelle Wang

On July 1, Michelle Wang moved from San Diego to Atlanta to begin her doctorate program in physics at Emory University. Less than a week after she settled into her new apartment, she heard the news: International students will have to leave the U.S. if all their classes are taught online.

"I can't just leave," Wang, 21, said. "It would ruin my life."

There are almost 1.1 million international students in the U.S., according to higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz. "This is an incredibly cruel policy change and seems intended to pressure colleges into re-opening," Kantrowitz said. Harvard and MIT have already sued the Department of Homeland Security over its decision. 

Wang was 12 when she moved to the U.S. from China with her mother, who taught Chinese to students at the San Diego High School of International Studies. Eventually, her mother returned to China, but Wang decided to stay in the United States to pursue a career in science. The University of San Diego offered her a generous scholarship to attend.

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