Donald Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestine Columbia University students continues. The federal immigration authorities, who arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student and Palestinian activist at the varsity, had another target: Ranjani Srinivasan, a student from India.
The 37-year-old self-deported from the United States, using the CBP (Customs and Border Protection Home app, after her student visa was revoked over pro-Palestine protests. She fled the country, boarding a flight from New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Canada.
Why did Ranjani Srinivasan self-deport from the US?
Ranjani Srinivasan is a Fulbright scholar pursuing a doctoral degree in urban planning at Columbia University. She has been in the US since 2016 when she enrolled at Harvard University as a graduate student.
As part of the crackdown against pro-Palestine students, the US Department of State cancelled her visa on March 5, citing concerns related to her involvement in activities supporting Hamas. She received an email from the US consulate in Chennai informing her about the revocation which stated that “information has come to light” that might make her ineligible.
Confused, she reached out to Columbia’s international student office, where she was told that as long as she stayed in the US, she could continue studying. Two days later, on March 7, she was on a call with a university official, discussing her visa status.
The scholar came under scrutiny because of an incident last year when pro-Palestine protests gripped Columbia University. When protesters clashed with the police, she was arrested near the university grounds. She was not participating in the demonstration but was returning after spending the day with friends when she found herself in the middle of the commotion. She was detained along with close to 100 others.
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