Indian PhD Student Deported After Pro-Palestine Activism at Columbia University

An Indian doctoral student, Ranjani Srinivasan, has voluntarily left the United States after her student visa was revoked due to her involvement in pro-Palestine demonstrations. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that Srinivasan's departure came after the State Department identified her activities as supporting Hamas, deemed a terrorist organization. Srinivasan, who was pursuing urban planning at Columbia University—a focal point for student-led protests in favor of Palestine—departed the US on March 11. These protests, which escalated into the violent occupation of a campus building, led to numerous arrests as the university sought to restore order.

Srinivasan's academic journey in the US was notable, having undertaken research at Columbia's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. With a bachelor's degree from CEPT University in Ahmedabad and a master's from Harvard supported by Fulbright Nehru and Inlaks Scholarships, her contributions to academia were significant. Her research, supported by the Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute at Harvard, focused on "Gold & Cyanide: Family, Caste, and the Post-extractive Landscape at Kolar Gold Fields". Additionally, Srinivasan's work extended to environmental advocacy, where she concentrated on communities affected by climate change.

The controversy surrounding Srinivasan's visa revocation and subsequent self-deportation underlines the broader tensions at Columbia University, which has become a battleground of ideological conflicts. The university has faced criticism from President Trump's administration, which accuses it of not curbing protests that it claims have crossed into anti-Semitism. This confrontation has led the government to withdraw $400 million in federal funds from Columbia. Furthermore, the arrest and pending deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia student with Palestinian roots, and the temporary revocation of his green card by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, underscore the heightened scrutiny on students' immigration statuses.

The Homeland Security Department revealed that Srinivasan utilized the Customs and Border Protection (CPB) agency's app to initiate her "self-deportation", a move that Secretary Noem lauded, sharing a video of Srinivasan at the airport. This method of departure spared Srinivasan the possibility of a forced return to India, akin to others deported on US military aircraft.

The university's role in these events has not gone unnoticed. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that investigations are underway to determine if Columbia has been "harbouring and concealing illegal aliens on its campus". This was after immigration agents, armed with court warrants, conducted raids on two hostel rooms, although no arrests were made at that time. The expulsion of several students who had occupied a campus building further reflects the institution's firm stance against the protests.

This crackdown has ignited a wave of protests, not just within the campus but also extending to Trump Tower, reflecting a growing concern among students and faculty members about the clampdown on dissent and free speech. The situation at Columbia University has thus become emblematic of the broader debates on immigration, freedom of expression, and the rights of students to engage in political activism in the US.