NEW DELHI : Immigration authorities in the United States have revoked the visa of an Indian doctoral student at Columbia University, citing allegations of endorsing extremist activities. The student, identified as Ranjani Srinivasan, has reportedly left the country using a self-deportation feature on a federal immigration app.
According to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Srinivasan, who was pursuing a PhD in Urban Studies at Columbia, entered the US on an F-1 student visa but was allegedly involved in activities linked to a designated terrorist group.
ALSO READ: India Dismisses Pakistanโs BLA Attack Allegations
โRanjani Srinivasan, an Indian national, arrived in the United States on a student visa for her doctoral studies in Urban Studies at Columbia University. She was found engaging in activities that promoted extremism,โ a DHS statement read.
The department further stated that her visa was officially revoked on March 5, 2025. โOn March 11, DHS secured evidence of Srinivasan voluntarily departing the US using the CBP Home App,โ it added.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem justified the move, emphasizing that student visas are a privilege, not a right.
ALSO READ: Fatal Vadodara Crash: Law Student Sent to Custody
โThe opportunity to live and study in the United States is a privilege, not an entitlement. If someone is found supporting violence and radical ideologies, they have no place here. I am pleased that one of Columbia Universityโs extremist sympathizers has chosen to self-deport,โ Noem stated.
Alongside Srinivasanโs case, federal immigration authorities have detained another student linked to past pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University.
Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian national from the West Bank, was arrested for overstaying her student visa, which was reportedly terminated in January 2022 due to non-attendance. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Khalil, a well-known Palestinian activist, was taken into custody in Louisiana earlier this week for his role in campus protests against military actions in Gaza.
The deportations and arrests are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to clamp down on student activists accused of promoting antisemitic rhetoric.
In a move to penalize institutions accused of failing to curb campus extremism, the administration has also announced plans to withdraw approximately $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, citing the institutionโs inadequate response to the alleged harassment of Jewish students.
University campuses across the US have witnessed a surge in protests over the Israel-Gaza conflict, with several incidents escalating into violent confrontations between demonstrators, law enforcement, and pro-Israel counter-protesters.
With federal authorities intensifying scrutiny on student activism, the latest actions signal a hardline stance on individuals and institutions perceived to be harboring extremist sympathies.
