Ranjani Srinivasan, a 37-year-old Indian PhD candidate at Columbia University, never imagined her academic journey would end with a frantic escape to Canada. Pursued by immigration agents, labeled a “terrorist sympathizer” by a top US official, and abandoned, she says, by the institution she dedicated years to, Srinivasan now faces an uncertain future.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Srinivasan recounted the 10 harrowing days after her student visa was revoked—an ordeal that led to her fleeing the United States in fear of arrest following accusations from US homeland security secretary Kristi Noem.
The midnight email that changed everything
On March 6, Srinivasan woke up in her Columbia-owned apartment to an email from the US consulate in Chennai informing her that her visa had been canceled. Initially dismissing it as spam, she checked the official immigration portal and found confirmation that her visa, which was renewed months earlier until 2029, was no longer valid.
Panicked, she contacted Columbia’s International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO). After hours of silence, the office assured her that her student status (I-20) was still intact and scheduled a Zoom meeting for the next day.
ICE at the door
Ten minutes into that Zoom call, there was a knock on her door.
Al Jazeera reported, men claiming to be immigration agents, who without properly identifying themselves, demanded entry, saying they intended to place her in removal proceedings. Her roommate refused to open the door.
“I freaked out. Why is ICE at my door?” Srinivasan recalled. “You live in Columbia housing, a place you’d consider safe. The fact that they entered without a warrant was terrifying.”
The ISSO adviser on the call, visibly shocked, muted herself to make frantic calls before providing Srinivasan with a list of lawyers. She said Columbia’s Public Safety advised her not to open the door but offered little else.
Columbia’s silence and a fellow student’s arrest
The next day, on March 8, the agents returned, warning they would keep coming “every day” until she was placed in removal proceedings. That same day, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian Green Card holder and protest leader, was arrested from Columbia housing.
“That’s when I realized I have no rights in this system,” Srinivasan said. “Columbia knew ICE was operating on campus but seemed uninterested in intervening.”
By March 9, Columbia revoked her student status and ordered her to vacate university housing.
Srinivasan knew her time in the US was running out and decided not to wait for deportation. With no legal recourse, she packed a single bag—leaving behind her furniture, belongings, and even her cat, Cricket—and fled to Canada on March 11 using a visitor visa she had previously secured for academic workshops and conferences.
Branded a ‘terrorist sympathizer’
Three days later, homeland security secretary Kristi Noem posted a grainy airport photo of Srinivasan on X (formerly Twitter), labeling her a “terrorist sympathizer” and claiming she had “self-deported” using a border control app she had never heard of.
“If supporting the idea of human rights or ending a genocide is equated with supporting Hamas, then anyone in proximity to me – without me having done anything – can just be picked up and made an example of,” Srinivasan said.
While she had participated in pro-Palestine protests and shared social media posts critical of Israel’s war on Gaza, she insists she was never part of any organized campus group. The US government has yet to specify any charges against her.
Columbia’s betrayal and a dangerous precedent
Columbia’s ISSO spokesperson, Kendall Easley, was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying that the university “welcomes international students” but did not address Srinivasan’s claims that the school failed to protect her.
Her union, Student Workers of Columbia (UAW Local 2710), condemned the university’s inaction, saying: “Ranjani’s case exposes a dangerous precedent… International students feel disposable—at the mercy of the state, with no protection from Columbia.”
An uncertain future
Now in Canada, Srinivasan is unsure if she’ll ever return to the US, even if her visa is reinstated. Her parents in India, fearing backlash, temporarily fled their home after Noem’s tweet sparked media frenzy and misinformation.
“I spent five years at Columbia, working 100-hour weeks,” she said. “I never expected the institution to let me down. But it did.”