Stanford PhD candidate says he could face deportation for refusing COVID booster: 'Heartbreaking'

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Stanford PhD candidate facing deportation over refusing COVID-19 booster shot

Diogo Braganca, who is from Portugal, joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss why he may be deported for not complying with the booster mandate.

A Portuguese PhD candidate at Stanford said Monday he may face deportation if he refuses to get a COVID-19 booster shot, despite already being fully vaccinated. 

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Diogo Braganca discussed his dream of coming to America to study physics on "America's Newsroom," and how the university's vaccine booster policy may compromise his ability to complete his degree. 

"It was my dream to come to America to study," Braganca told co-host Bill Hemmer. "Such great opportunities, and it's really heartbreaking that they are making me do this… If I was alone, ifI didn't have a family, I would maybe take the booster just to continue my program because it's such an important thing for me to study physics."

Pharmacist Kenni Clark prepares a booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic at City of Lawrence’s "The Center", which serves seniors, families and the community, Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021, in Lawrence, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

"However, now I have a wife and the kids, and I know that there's a risk to get myocarditis, especially for men exactly in my age range," he continued. "So to me, the risk calculation was clear I will not put my family at risk."

The booster mandate only applies to students, not staff or faculty, and remains in effect even if a student is completing their degree online according to Braganca. 

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The university is placing an "enrollment hold" on any student who does not receive the booster by the deadline, and this hold will affect Braganca's ability, and other international students' ability, to stay in the United States. 

"Stanford put this enrollment hold on anyone who is not boosted even if they are fully vaccinated and even if they got natural immunity," Braganca said. "So in my case, I got the mild case of COVID in back in January, and for them, that counts like nothing. 

"That means that in my case that if I cannot enroll, my visa gets canceled, and I have to go back to Portugal along with my, my wife and my kids who are dependents," he continued.