Columbia University student self-deports after visa revoked for pro-Palestine stance

Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian doctoral student at Columbia University voluntarily left the United States this week after her student visa was revoked for participating in pro-Palestine protests. The US Department of Homeland Security announced that Srinivasan’s visa was canceled on March 5, citing their involvement in activities supporting  Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. The department confirmed that Srinivasan used the Customs and Border Protection (CPB) app to self-deport on March 5.

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Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem supported the decision, emphasizing that individuals advocating violence and terrorism should lose the privilege of residing in the US. Noem shared a video of Srinivasan walking through an airport in her social media post. Srinivasan, who uses gender neutral pronouns is a doctoral student in urban planning at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP).

Srinivasan’s research focuses on land-labour relations peri-urban areas in India, supported by the Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute. She  holds a bachelor’s degree from CEPT university in Ahmedabad, a Master’s degree from Harvard University and has worked on climate change issues and environmental advocacy. Srinivasan’s academic interests span urbanization, development politics, and the historical geographies of capitalism and caste.