March 15, 2025: Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian doctoral student at Columbia University, has voluntarily left the United States after her student visa was revoked over allegations of supporting Hamas-linked activities during pro-Palestine protests.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Srinivasan’s visa was canceled on March 5 for "advocating violence and terrorism." Officials claim she was involved in activities supporting Hamas, which the US designates as a terrorist organization. She departed the country on March 11 using the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) self-deportation app, DHS confirmed.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared a video of Srinivasan at the airport, stating that individuals promoting violence should not be allowed to remain in the US. "A visa is a privilege, not a right. When you advocate for terrorism, that privilege is revoked," Noem posted on X.
Srinivasan was pursuing a PhD in urban planning at Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. She had previously studied at CEPT University in Ahmedabad and Harvard University under prestigious Fulbright Nehru and Inlaks Scholarships. Her research background included work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an environmental advocacy nonprofit in Washington.
Columbia University has been a major hub for pro-Palestine activism, particularly amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Srinivasan’s case follows the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia student and protest leader, whose green card was revoked. While authorities planned his deportation, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the process. Another Columbia student, Leqaa Kordia, was arrested for overstaying her student visa after participating in New York protests.
The US Justice Department and Homeland Security are now investigating whether Columbia University has been “harboring and concealing illegal aliens on its campus,” according to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The incident has intensified debates on student activism, immigration policies, and the limits of free speech in the United States.