The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian doctoral student at Columbia University, has “self-deported” after her visa was revoked.
The US government accused her of supporting Hamas and advocating violence. Her visa was cancelled on March 5, 2025, and she used the CBP Home App to self-deport on March 11.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that living and studying in the US is a privilege and should not be extended to those who support terrorism.
“It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America. When you advocate for violence and terrorism, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country. I am glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathisers use the CBP Home App to self-deport,” she said.
Who is Ranjani Srinivasan?
- Ranjani is an Indian national and doctoral student at Columbia University.
- She is accused of being involved in activities supporting Hamas.
- She is a Fulbright scholar with a strong academic background.
- She holds an M.Phil in Urban Planning from Columbia University, a Master’s in Design from Harvard University, and a Bachelor’s in Design from CEPT University, India.
- Her research is on land-labour relations in peri-urban India, political economy, and spatial politics.
Why was her visa revoked?
- The US government accused Ranjani of advocating for violence and terrorism, through her support of Hamas
- Her visa was cancelled by the US Department of State on March 5, 2025, due to “security concerns.”
- The revocation is part of a wider crackdown on foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian activism in the US.
- Another student, Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian from the West Bank, was arrested for overstaying her visa. She had previously been detained in 2024 for participating in protests at Columbia University.
- Also, the arrest and potential deportation of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder, has sparked national outrage and raised concerns about the rights of green card holders in the US.
- President Donald Trump has warned that colleges failing to align with his policies could lose federal funding. His targets range from transgender athletes in women’s sports to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes. On Friday, his administration announced investigations into 52 universities as part of its crackdown on DEI initiatives.
- The administration has also withdrawn $400 million in federal grants and contracts, citing the university’s alleged failure to address antisemitism.
