Indian student Ranjani Srinivasan, 37, was excited to pursue her doctoral degree in urban planning from Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP). Her research, which explored the evolving nature of land-labour relations in peri-urban statutory towns in India, was backed by the Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute. However, her participation in pro-Palestinian protests has cost her the academic life she dreamt of, thanks to the crackdown by the Trump administration.
Ranjani holds a bachelors from Ahmedabad's CEPT (Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology) University and masters from Harvard. She was also a recipient of Fulbright Nehru and Inlaks Scholarships.
The woman learnt about her visa cancellation on March 5 after the US Consulate in Chennai sent her an email. She sought help from Columbia's international student office. Ranjani was accused of supporting Hamas.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said, "It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and 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."
After cancellation of her visa, immigration agents started looking for her from March 7. Speaking to The New York Times, Ranjani said, "I'm just surprised that I'm a person of interest. I never thought something like this would happen to me."
Ranjani had no choice but to abandon everything she had in the US, including her doctoral life, apartment and even her cat. She left the cat with her friend and booked the next available flight. She flew from LaGuardia Airport to Canada.
"The atmosphere seemed so volatile and dangerous," she told NYT "I’m fearful that even the smallest political speech or social media post can turn into a nightmare."
The US Department of Homeland Security later announced that Ranjani had voluntarily self-deported.