Indian doctoral student Ranjani Srinivasan chose to return to India after the U.S. Department of State revoked her F-1 student visa on March 5, 2025. The Department of State cancelled her visa because she allegedly performed activities that supported Hamas, which officials from multiple countries, including America, declared a terrorist entity. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed Srinivasan used the new Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home App to self-deport through the system on March 11, 2025.
The CBP Home App, which was launched by DHS earlier this month, is designed to allow individuals who are unlawfully present in the U.S. to leave the country voluntarily. The app helps users initiate a self-deportation process, avoiding traditional enforcement measures and potential detention. The DHS emphasised that using the app could enable individuals to return legally in the future, provided they comply with the necessary procedures. Those who fail to use this option face permanent bans from re-entering the country.
Secretary of Homeland Security Supports Voluntary Departure
Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, publicly supported Srinivasan’s decision, stating that advocating violence and terrorism should lead to the revocation of one’s visa and deportation. “It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States,” Noem said in a statement, “When you advocate for violence and terrorism, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country.”
Ranjani Srinivasan was pursuing her PhD in Urban Planning at Columbia University where she studied environmental research and earlier worked on vulnerable communities while performing climate change work before her studies. She conducted academic and research work for MIT’s West Philadelphia Landscape Project among other activities. Her academic achievements at Columbia University became meaningless when she actively supported Hamas and pro-Palestinian measures.
Columbia University Protests Fueling Tensions Over Campus Activism
Srinivasan’s case comes amid a broader crackdown on student activists in the U.S. who have shown support for the Palestinian cause. Columbia University has been a focal point for pro-Palestinian protests, particularly following the Israel-Hamas conflict. In a separate incident, another Columbia student, Leqaa Kordia, was arrested for overstaying her student visa. Kordia had also participated in protests related to the conflict and had been previously involved in pro-Hamas demonstrations on campus.
The ongoing sequence of government actions demonstrates targeting people who participate in the activism. The U.S. government conducts investigations to determine if Columbia University permits unauthorized students with illegal involvement to stay on campus.
