Who is Ranjani Srinivasan, Indian doctoral student who self-deported after the US revoked her visa?

The US Department of Homeland Security has announced that an Indian doctoral student from Columbia University, Ranjani Srinivasan, has self-deported using the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home App. Her visa was revoked last week for allegedly supporting Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation.

The department reportedly released a video showing Srinivasan, who appears to be at an airport, rushing through a jetway with her bags, according to The Washington Times.

Who is Ranjani Srinivasan?

Ranjani Srinivasan, a citizen and national of India, entered the United States on an F-1 student visa and was pursuing a doctorate in urban planning at Columbia University. Her visa was revoked on March 5, 2025, and she self-deported on March 11, 2025, using the CBP Home App.

The Trump administration accused Srinivasan of ‘advocating for violence and terrorism’ and revoked her visa.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed the self-deportation, writing, “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,” she wrote on X.

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.

I’m glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers… pic.twitter.com/jR2uVVKGCM

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 14, 2025

Srinivasan’s academic background is impressive, with an MPhil in Urban Planning from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) and a Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) degree from CEPT University. She also holds a Master’s in Design from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

Her research focuses on the changing nature of land-labour relations in India’s peri-urban areas. According to her profile on NYU Wagner’s official website, her primary areas of interest include the political economy of development, the spatial politics of land and the sociology of labour.

The DHS also reported that another student, Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian from the West Bank, was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for overstaying her expired F-1 student visa. Her visa was terminated on January 26, 2022, due to a lack of attendance.