How US immigration authorities tried to hunt down Indian student Ranjani Srinivasan and her escape to Canada

India Today

Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian student at Columbia University, self-deported from the US after the Trump administration revoked her visa.

Transcript

00:00Self-deported, accused of being a terrorist sympathiser, evaded immigration twice.

00:05This is the story of 37-year-old Indian scholar Ranjani Srinivasan,

00:10a Fulbright Fellow and a doctoral student at Columbia University.

00:14Her life took an unexpected turn when the US revoked her visa for allegedly supporting Hamas.

00:19It all began on March 5, 2025, when the US Department of State cancelled her visa.

00:24Days later, on March 11, she used the Customs and Border Protection Home App to self-deport.

00:29Srinivasan is pursuing a PhD in Urban Planning at Columbia University's

00:33Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.

00:36She also holds a Bachelor of Design degree from CEPT University

00:40and a Master's in Design from Harvard University.

00:43Her research focused on the changing land-labour relations in India's peri-urban areas.

00:47According to a profile on NYU Wagner's website,

00:50her interests included the political economy of development and sociology of labour.

00:55The crackdown on pro-Palestine students brought her under scrutiny.

00:58The US Department of State cited concerns over her alleged involvement in activities supporting Hamas.

01:03She received an email from the US Consulate in Chennai,

01:06which stated information had come to light, making her ineligible for a visa.

01:10Confused, Srinivasan contacted Columbia's International Student Office.

01:14She was assured that as long as she remained in the US, she could continue her studies.

01:19Her troubles had started in 2024, when pro-Palestine protests erupted at Columbia University.

01:25Police clashed with protesters near the university.

01:27She was arrested near the university grounds.

01:29I was just trying to get back to my apartment.

01:32Ranjani was issued two summonses for obstructing traffic and refusing to disperse.

01:37The case was dismissed, leaving her with no criminal record.

01:40She did not disclose the summonses while renewing her student visa.

01:44According to Srinivasan's attorney, she had attended only a few protests

01:48and was not part of the student occupation of Hamilton Hall.

01:51In 2023, she signed an open letter by the Society of Architectural Historians

01:56supporting Palestinian liberation.

01:58The US Department of Homeland Security labelled her as a terrorist sympathizer.

02:02Officials claimed she had failed to disclose her court summonses while renewing her visa.

02:06On March 7, three federal immigration agents arrived at her off-campus apartment.

02:11Her roommate refused to open the door.

02:13Soon after, Columbia University informed her via email that Homeland Security had revoked her visa.

02:18Her enrollment was withdrawn and she was asked to vacate student housing.

02:22The email signed by the university's international student office instructed her to meet Homeland Security.

02:28On March 13, immigration agents came knocking again.

02:31This time, they had a judicial warrant.

02:33But by then, she had fled the country.

02:35Using the CBD app, she self-deported.

02:38Surveillance footage captured her rushing through LaGuardia airport with her suitcase.

02:42Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted the video on X.

02:45After five years of work, she was on the verge of graduating.

02:48Now, her future remains uncertain.

02:51Columbia University did not comment on her case.

02:53It was unclear whether she would return to India.

02:56For now, she remained in limbo, unsure of what lay ahead.

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