Ranjani Srinivasan, a 37-year-old Indian doctoral student in urban planning at Columbia University, self-deported last week after her student visa was revoked for participating in pro-Palestine protests. The U.S. Department of State canceled her visa on March 5, citing security concerns related to her alleged involvement in activities "supporting Hamas."
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem referred to Srinivasan as a "terrorist sympathizer," stating that individuals who "advocate terrorism and violence" must not remain in the U.S.
Currently in Canada, Srinivasan described her experience as a "dystopian nightmare."
"I’m fearful that even the most low-level political speech or just doing what we all do—like shouting into the abyss that is social media—can turn into this dystopian nightmare where somebody is calling you a terrorist sympathizer and making you, literally, fear for your life and safety," Srinivasan told The New York Times.
She clarified that her social media activity was largely limited to liking or sharing posts highlighting human rights violations in the Gaza war. "I’m just surprised that I’m a person of interest… I’m kind of a rando (slang for random)," she added.
Srinivasan’s decision to leave the U.S. came two days after federal immigration officials visited her home, creating fear and uncertainty. According to The New York Times, she described the situation as extremely "volatile and dangerous," prompting her to quickly self-deport. She packed her bags, left her cat with a friend, and departed.
Self-deporting—leaving voluntarily before authorities take action—avoids the risk of being placed on a U.S. military aircraft and deported, as has happened to others recently sent back to India.
Columbia University’s website indicates that Srinivasan uses gender-neutral "they/them" pronouns.
Srinivasan’s research focuses on the evolving nature of land-labor relations in peri-urban statutory towns in India, supported by the Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute. They hold a Bachelor’s degree from CEPT University in Ahmedabad and a Master’s degree from Harvard, funded by Fulbright Nehru and Inlaks Scholarships.
Their professional experience includes working for an environmental advocacy nonprofit in Washington, D.C., on "frontier communities at risk from climate change," and as a researcher for the West Philadelphia Landscape Project (WPLP) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
According to the university’s website, Srinivasan’s broad interests include urbanization, the political economy of development, and the historical geographies of capitalism and caste.
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