NEW YORK (Diya TV) — Indian doctoral student at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) Ranjani Srinivasan departed the United States after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked her student visa. The DHS said her suspected role in activities favorable to Hamas, a listed terrorist organization, led to the revocation of her visa.
Srinivasan, who came to the U.S. on an F-1 student visa, was a student seeking a PhD in Urban Planning at Columbia. Her visa was revoked by the Department of State on March 5, 2025, alleging she participated in activities related to Hamas. Later, on March 11, she used the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home App to self-deport, a program through which one can voluntarily report having left the country.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had her say regarding the incident, opining that persons who support terrorism and violence must not be within the nation’s borders. This is a development that comes against the backdrop of a general clampdown by the Trump administration against foreign nationals in pro-Palestinian demonstrations believed to be in support of Hamas.
The government has ratcheted up actions to curb what it believes are antisemitic and anti-American protests, a move that has seen greater concern among international faculty and students around the United States. Srinivasan’s exit is in the wake of the arrest of another student at Columbia, Leqaa Kordia, a West Bank Palestinian who was arrested for remaining in the country beyond her student visa expiration.
The arrests have created concern over free speech and the threat of immigration sanctions against political protests on university campuses. Universities like Columbia have warned international students about the dangers involved in engaging in certain activities and the potential impacts on their immigration status.
The case continues to unfold, with the Justice Department probing whether Columbia University has been hiding “illegal aliens” on its campus. The interim president of the university has pledged to honor the law and serve community members while dealing with the challenges presented by the administration’s requirements, including academic and operational modifications.
