Ranjani Srinivasan
Indian student Ranjani Srinivasan self-deports after US revokes visa over participation in pro-Palestine protests
An Indian student who was studying in the US has self-deported herself from the country, days after her student visa was revoked due to participation in the pro-Palestine protests.
The Indian student was identified as Ranjani Srinivasan.
The US Homeland Security said her visa was revoked for advocating 'violence and terrorism'.
Also Read: Panama shelters nearly 300 deportees from US including Indians
The US Homeland Security said in a statement: "Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced that one of the Columbia students who had her student visa revoked for advocating for violence and terrorism self-deported using the CBP Home App and ICE arrested a Palestinian student for overstaying her expired F-1 visa."
Ranjani Srinivasan
As per the Homeland Security website, Ranjani Srinivasan, a citizen and national of India, entered the United States on an F-1 student visa as a doctoral student in Urban Planning at Columbia University.
The US Homeland Security website claimed Srinivasan was involved in activities supporting Hamas, the group that attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to the Gaza invasion.
On March 5, 2025, the Department of State revoked her visa.
"The Department of Homeland Security has obtained video footage of her using the CBP Home App to self-deport on March 11," the department said in the statement.
Leqaa Kordia
Another student, Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian from West Bank, was also arrested by ICE HSI Newark officers for overstaying her expired F-1 student visa.
Her visa was terminated on January 26, 2022, for lack of attendance. Previously, in April 2024 Kordia was arrested for her involvement in pro-Hamas protests at Columbia University in New York City.
Kristi Noem Shares Video
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared a video on her X page where the Indian national could be seen in the airport, showing the moment she self-deported from the country.
"It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live & study in the United States of America," Noem wrote on X.
It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live & study in the United States of America.
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 14, 2025
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
"When you advocate for violence and terrorism that privilege should be revoked and you should not be in this country," she said,
"I’m glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers use the CBP Home app to self deport," she said.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
