Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian national and a doctoral student at Columbia University, has voluntarily left the United States after her visa was revoked for allegedly supporting Hamas. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that Srinivasan "self-deported" on March 11 using the CBP Home App.
"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," read a DHS statement on Friday (local time).
Visa Revoked Over Alleged Links
Srinivasan, who was pursuing a Ph.D. in Urban Planning at Columbia University, had her F-1 student visa revoked by the US State Department on March 5, 2025. The DHS stated that she was involved in activities supporting Hamas, a designated terrorist organization by the US.
The agency also mentioned that video footage confirmed Srinivasan's departure from the US. "The Department of Homeland Security has obtained video footage of her using the CBP Home App to self-deport on March 11," the release added.
Academic Background and US Secretary’s Remarks
Srinivasan holds an M.Phil in Urban Planning from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP). She also has a Master’s in Design from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) from CEPT University in Ahmedabad.
Reacting to her self-deportation, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem reiterated that holding a US visa is a privilege.
"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," Noem wrote on X.
Palestinian Student Also Arrested
Alongside Srinivasan’s case, DHS also announced the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student of Palestinian descent, for overstaying his expired F-1 visa. Khalil was reportedly an active participant in pro-Palestine protests at Columbia’s campus last year.
