New York: The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian doctoral student at Columbia University, has voluntarily left the United States after her visa was revoked over alleged support for Hamas. Srinivasan used the CBP Home App to self-deport on March 11, 2025, following the Department of State’s decision to cancel her visa on March 5 due to security concerns.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem justified the revocation, stating, “When you advocate for violence and terrorism, that privilege should be revoked.” This move aligns with heightened scrutiny of foreign students amid pro-Palestinian protests on US campuses.
Srinivasan, a Fulbright scholar, was pursuing a PhD in Urban Planning at Columbia University. She previously earned degrees from Harvard and CEPT University. The DHS has not disclosed further details about her alleged activities.
Her case follows the recent arrest of another Columbia student, Palestinian national Leqaa Kordia, for visa overstay. The incidents reflect the US government’s intensified oversight of foreign students involved in politically sensitive activism.
