It was Friday. At 7 am, three US federal immigration officials showed up at the door of a residential apartment at Columbia University in New York. They went there to search the apartment, but the door was not opened.
Indian student Ranjani Srinivasan lived in the apartment. She learned that the US authorities had canceled her student visa. The next night (Saturday), immigration officials showed up at her apartment door again. Ranjani was not in the apartment at that time.
A few hours later (Sunday), former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil was arrested from the residential area of the same campus. This Palestinian played a key role in the pro-Palestinian protests on the Columbia University campus last year.
Concerned about these incidents, Ranjani quickly packed her bags and left campus. Because she was also arrested during last year's protests. Anyway, Ranjani boarded a plane from New York's LaGuardia Airport and fled to Canada. She left her beloved cat in the care of a friend.
Immigration officials went to Ranjani's apartment again last Thursday. They came to Ranjani's apartment with a judicial warrant. By then, Ranjani had left the United States.
Ranjani Srinivasan, 37, spoke to the New York Times last Friday. This was her first interview with any media outlet since leaving the United States. "I made a very quick decision," she said.
Ranjani was pursuing a PhD in urban planning at Columbia University on a Fulbright scholarship. President Trump has begun using federal immigration powers to crack down on students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests on campus last year. Ranjani's fate is caught in this trap.During the week of immigration officers visiting her apartment, Ranjani was at a loss to understand why the State Department had canceled her visa without explanation. As a result, the university authorities were also forced to cancel her admission. Because the visa was canceled, her legal status was also revoked.
However, on Friday, Ranjani got some answers to her curiosity while sitting in Canada.
The US Department of Homeland Security in a statement described Ranjani as a “terrorist sympathizer.” She was also accused of “inciting violence” and “engaging in activities supporting the terrorist organization Hamas.” However, they could not provide any evidence to support these charges.
Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem posted a video footage on social media. In it, Ranjani is seen at LaGuardia Airport with a suitcase in hand before leaving the United States.
Christy Noem Sanande said, “Ranjani Srinivasan’s departure from the United States is a case of self-deportation.”
Christy Noem also wrote in Ex Post, “It is a privilege to have a visa to live and study in the United States. But when you speak out for violence and terrorism, that privilege should be revoked. And you should not be in this country.”
Ranjani’s lawyers have denied the charges against their client. Instead, they have alleged that the Trump administration revoked Ranjani’s visa for making “unsafe political speech.” She was not even given any meaningful process to challenge the visa revocation.
In this regard, lawyer Naz Ahmad said that the Department of Homeland Security has been trying to punish her client for the past week for her remarks at the protests. But they have not been successful in this endeavor.
In an interview with the New York Times on Friday, Ranjani said, “I am in fear. I can’t believe that something like this could happen for a minor political position or for something as simple as raising your voice on social media. That’s why when someone calls you a friend of terrorists, makes you fear for your life and safety, it becomes an unreal nightmare.’
Ranjani found herself in this situation because of last year’s protests. At that time, pro-Palestinian students occupied Hamilton Hall on the Columbia University campus. Ranjani was arrested at the entrance to the campus.
At the time, Ranjani said that she was not involved in any kind of vandalism. Rather, she was stuck in the crowd and barricades on her way back to her apartment with friends after a picnic. She was then arrested.
He was briefly detained. Two summonses were issued. One for obstructing the movement of vehicles or pedestrians. The other for refusing to leave the protest site. However, Ranjani's case was quickly dismissed at that time. No criminal record was made against him.
Ranjani also said that he had never faced any disciplinary action from the university. His academic standing is quite good.
Another of Ranjani's lawyers, Nathan Yaffe, said that his client was also arrested along with about 100 protesters. However, the court understood that Ranjani had got involved in the protests on his way home. Therefore, the case was dismissed.
However, when Ranjani applied for a visa renewal late last year, she did not mention the summons issued against her. Because it was a case that was settled in May. She was not even charged, the student said.
Ranjani added, "That (not mentioning the summons information in the application) was probably my mistake."
If a foreign student resorts to fraud, someone stays in the United States after the expiration of the period, someone is convicted or arrested, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can cancel that student's visa for legal reasons.