Fatou Wurie, a Sierra Leonean doctoral candidate at Harvard University is facing an uncertain future due to United States President Donald Trump’s visa policies on international students.
Just months shy of graduating, Wurie’s dream of completing her PhD and advancing women’s health research in Sierra Leone hangs in the balance as Trump’s visa policies disrupt her plans and those of thousands of other international students.
Speaking with the BBC, Wurie revealed that she had spent $200,000 on her PhD which explores the uterine fibroids’ impact on Sierra Leonean women. According to her, much of the funds for her studies came through loans, with her community raising as much as $50,000 to fund her research.
However, Trump’s visa policies, which include a pause on new student visa interviews and intensified social media vetting, have left her stranded in Sierra Leone, unable to return to the U.S. to complete her PhD.
She said: “I am very affected by this new decision that’s coming out of the U.S. administration.”
“I returned home (Sierra Leone) to do my data collection and to ensure that the research reflects the experiences of women with uterine fibroids in Sierra Leone, and yet I continue to, of course, be an enrolled student.
“Now as we speak, I don’t know if I’m still enrolled. I don’t know if I’ll be able to graduate. I don’t know if I’ll be able to go back to the U.S. in August to defend my thesis that I’ve spent close to four years working on, and then to graduate.”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that this comes amid the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke Harvard’s ability to enroll international students, affecting roughly 7,000 students like Wurie.
Although the attempt was temporarily blocked by a federal judge, uncertainty continues to grow amongst international students as Trump’s visa policies continue to loom large
Recently, Trump imposed stricter visa checks for Harvard’s visitors, targeting students, faculty, staff, and even tourists seeking to engage with the prestigious university.
The directive, issued by the Trump administration on May 30, 2025, mandates enhanced vetting, including comprehensive social media screenings, for all non-immigrant visa applicants connected to Harvard University.
According to the directive contained in a diplomatic cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide have been instructed to vet all Harvard’s visitors.
Recall also that on May 27, 2025, Rubio issued a directive to halt new student visa interview appointments globally, pending the implementation of expanded social media vetting protocols.
