Indian scholar whose visa was revoked by the US over ‘advocating violence and terrorism’
Why did Trump administration revoke visa of Ranjani Srinivasan? Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian scholar at Columbia University, was forced to depart the US. Her visa was revoked. She was accused by the US government of funding Hamas and advocating for violence. Her visa was revoked on 5 March 2025. On 11 March, she departed the US independently using the CBP Home app. Ranjani was a Fulbright scholar and was working on a PhD. This is all part of an effort to crack down on foreign students in the US. Particularly those who engage in pro-Palestinian activism.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that living and learning in the US is a privilege, not a right. It shouldn’t be extended to people who are supportive of terrorism. Noem stated, “It is an honor to receive a visa to live and study in the US. If you support violence and terrorism, this honor should be revoked, and you should not be here. I am happy that one of the Columbia University terrorist supporters departed the nation on his own through the CBP Home app.”
Who is Ranjani Srinivasan?
Ranjani Srinivasan is an Indian-origin doctoral student at Columbia University. She is a distinguished Fulbright Scholar and has an excellent academic background. She has an M.Phil in Urban Planning from Columbia University, a Masters in Design from Harvard University, and a Bachelors in Design from CEPT University in India. Her areas of research are land-labour relations, political economy, and regional politics in peri-urban India.
Why Ranjani’s visa revoked?
The US government charged Ranjani with promoting violence and terrorism by endorsing Hamas. The US State Department revoked her visa on March 5, 2025, on grounds of ‘security concerns’. The move is part of a broader crackdown on foreign students who are pro-Palestinian in the US. Another West Bank Palestinian student, Laka Cordia, was arrested for staying beyond her visa in the US. She was also arrested in 2024 for protesting at Columbia University.
Concerns of green card holders grew in America:
The arrest and potential deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, another student at Columbia University who holds a green card, have triggered national outrage, raising concerns about the rights of green card holders in the US. President Donald Trump has threatened that colleges that fail to align with his policies will be stripped of federal funding. His targets range from transgender athletes competing in women’s sports to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. On Friday, his administration announced the investigation of 52 universities as part of its crackdown against DEI programs.
