Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian national and Fulbright scholar at Columbia University, in a statement after her abrupt departure from the US in the wake of an alleged crackdown by the Donald Trump administration on pro-Palestinian student demonstrators, said she is being targeted for exercising her right to free speech. “Having my visa revoked and losing my student status has upended my life and future—not because of any wrongdoing, but because I exercised my right to free speech,” Srinivasan told CNN. The 37-year-old doctoral student in urban planning fled to Canada last week after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents repeatedly visited her apartment. Her case has drawn widespread attention as part of a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on pro-Palestinian student demonstrators. A mistaken arrest? Srinivasan’s legal troubles began last year during protests at Columbia University against the Israel-Hamas war. On the night of the widely publicised Hamilton Hall occupation, she claims was not part of the demonstration but was returning home when she found the streets barricaded. Unable to reach her apartment, she was caught up in the police response and detained. She was charged with failure to disperse and blocking the sidewalk—charges that were later dismissed. “I was just trying to get back to my apartment,” she told The New York Times, explaining that her arrest was purely incidental. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), however, cited her as one of the Columbia students targeted for immigration action. In a statement, the DHS characterised Srinivasan as a “terrorist sympathiser” and accused her of advocating for violence in support of Hamas, which the US government designates as a terrorist organization. The claims, however, have been denied by Srinivasan’s legal team. Visa revocation and ICE pursuit Srinivasan first learned her visa had been revoked when she received an email from the US Consulate in Chennai on 5 March, providing no explanation other than a vague reference to ‘new information.’ Columbia’s international student office assured her she could continue her studies until she left the country. However, two days later, ICE agents arrived at her apartment unannounced. She avoided them the first time, but when they returned the following evening—coinciding with the high-profile arrest of another Columbia student, Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil—she decided to leave. “The atmosphere seemed so volatile and dangerous,” she said. “So, I just made a quick decision.” Hours after her departure to Canada, ICE agents returned to her apartment, this time with a judicial warrant. Political targeting? DHS officials accused Srinivasan of failing to disclose her prior citations when renewing her visa. Srinivasan said she did not disclose these summonses when she renewed her student visa, believing that since the charges had been dropped, they didn’t need to be reported. Her lawyers argue she was specifically targeted for her political speech, citing her limited social media activity and the signing of an open letter in support of Palestinian rights. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posted surveillance footage of Srinivasan at LaGuardia Airport, claiming she had ‘self-deported’ via a Customs and Border Protection app—an assertion her legal team denies. “She left to comply with the law after DHS unlawfully terminated her status,” her attorney Nathan Yaffe said in a statement. ICE’s aggressive actions at Columbia have alarmed civil liberties groups, who note that visa revocations typically follow overstays or criminal convictions—not political activity. Srinivasan, now in Canada, remains uncertain about her future. “I came to the US to study. Universities should be places where students can engage in political discourse without fear of retaliation,” she said.
