An Indian national studying for a doctorate at Columbia University left the United States after her student visa was revoked for alleged terror support during pro-Palestinian protests on campus, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday.
Ranjani Srinivasan, who studied Urban Planning, was on an F1 visa. The visa was revoked on March 5 as the DHS claimed she “was involved in activities supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization.”
DHS shared footage of Srinivasan using the CBP Home App to self-deport earlier this week.
The former doctoral student elected to fly to Canada, according to CBS News.
The department also announced that a Palestinian student had been arrested for overstaying after her student visa expired. Her visa was terminated in January, although for failing to attend class and not her involvement in pro-Palestinian protests.
Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian student from the West Bank, was arrested by ICE HSI Newark officers for overstaying her expired F-1 student visa, DHS said. Her visa terminated on January 26, 2022, for lack of attendance.
In April 2024, Kordia was arrested for her involvement in pro-Hamas protests at Columbia University in New York City, DHS confirmed.
A Columbia University spokesperson told the Columbia Spectator that “Columbia has no record of this individual (Kordia) being registered as a current or former student at the University.”
It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live & study in the United States of America. When you advocate for violence and terrorism that privilege should be revoked and you should not be in this country. I’m glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers… pic.twitter.com/jR2uVVKGCM
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 14, 2025
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stressed: “It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America. When you advocate for violence and terrorism, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country. I am glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers use the CBP Home app to self-deport.”
DHS agents also searched two Columbia University student residences Thursday night but did not arrest or detain anyone, according to ABC News.
Crackdown on US campuses
The crackdown on terror support on campus comes as US President Donald Trump cut grant funding to universities failing to tackle antisemitism and extremism on campus.
Betar US, a far-right group, claimed that they had submitted a list of thousands of names of students exhibiting support for terrorists to the office of Trump, The Guardian reported.
The group also claimed credit for the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil.
Pro-Palestinian protests on US campuses made headlines over the past 16 months as property damage and building occupation became a commonplace demonstration against the Israel-Hamas War.
Jews, and in particular Jewish students, were repeatedly attacked on campuses following the rise in antisemitism which followed Hamas's October 7 massacre.
