Why did Indian doctoral student from Columbia University Ranjani Srinivasan self deport from US?

Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian doctoral student at Columbia University, has left the United States after her visa was revoked for alleged support of Hamas.The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that she used the CBP Home App to self-deport on March 11, 2025. Her visa was cancelled by the State Department on March 5 due to security concerns. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the decision, stating that those who support violence and terrorism should not be allowed to stay in the US. The US government accused Srinivasan of advocating for violence and supporting Hamas. While officials have not provided specific details, her visa was revoked as part of a broader effort to scrutinise foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian activism.Why did she self-deport? The CBP Home App, launched as part of a Trump-era immigration policy, allows non-citizens to process their voluntary departure from the US. Srinivasan used this feature to leave after her visa revocation. This move comes as the US government increases scrutiny on foreign students participating in pro-Palestinian activism.Columbia Spectator reports that the CBP Home app is a modified version of the CBP One app, which was initially launched in October 2020 during the final months of Donald Trump’s first term. The Biden administration later expanded CBP One to help asylum seekers schedule immigration appointments. When Trump returned to office, his administration repurposed the app to include a self-deportation feature.Who is Ranjani SrinivasanRanjani Srinivasan is an Indian national and a Fulbright scholar. She was pursuing a Ph.D. in Urban Planning at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP). She also holds an M.Phil from Columbia, a Master’s in Design from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, and a Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) from CEPT University in India.Her research focuses on “the evolving nature of land-labour relations in peri-urban statutory towns in India,” with broader interests in “the political economy of development, the spatial politics of land, and the sociology of labour,” according to her bio on NYU Wagner’s official website.