Indian student Ranjani Srinivasan left the United States after the Trump administration revoked her visa due to her participation in pro-Palestine protests. Fearing for her safety, she opted for self-deportation, stating that even minor political speech could quickly spiral into a “dystopian nightmare” where individuals are labeled as “terrorists.”

Srinivasan made headlines after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked her visa and issued a statement accusing her of advocating violence and supporting Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.

A rapid exit via self-deportation app

Faced with these accusations, the Columbia University doctoral student in urban planning used the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home app to self-deport.

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“I’m fearful that even the most low-level political speech or just doing what we all do—like shout 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 your safety,” Srinivasan told The New York Times in an interview.

Srinivasan, a 37-year-old Fulbright Scholar, said the “volatile and dangerous” atmosphere prompted her to make a swift decision. She booked a flight to Canada after DHS agents first visited her residence. In her rush to leave, she left behind her cat with a friend.

Arrest and visa revocation

The controversy surrounding Srinivasan stems from the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrators, leveraging federal immigration powers. She was among a small group of non-citizens at Columbia University who came under the scrutiny of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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Srinivasan was arrested last year near Columbia’s campus on the same day that pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupied Hamilton Hall. She insists she was not part of the protest and was simply returning home from a picnic with friends when she got caught in the crowd.

According to The New York Times, while navigating through the barricades on West 116th Street, she was pushed by police and subsequently arrested. She was detained briefly and issued two summonses: one for obstructing traffic and another for failing to disperse. Her case was later dismissed in court, and she did not receive a criminal record, as confirmed by her lawyers and court documents.

Columbia University also did not take disciplinary action against her.

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Srinivasan’s visa troubles arose when DHS officials claimed she had failed to disclose her two court summonses during a visa renewal process. While she now acknowledges that she should have mentioned them, she maintains that they were minor infractions that should not have been grounds for visa revocation.

Homeland Security has not provided an explanation as to how these dismissed summonses were linked to allegations of supporting terrorism. The case has sparked debate over the use of immigration policies to target political activists and raised concerns over free speech rights for non-citizens in the United States.

The situation underscores the growing tension surrounding political activism, immigration enforcement, and academic freedom in the country.

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