Pro Hamas Indian Student ‘Self-Deports’ as Trump Cracks Down on Hamilton Hall Rioters
by adarshdubey · TFIPOST.comDuring Biden regime, pro-Palestinian student rioters ran amuck on several campuses. In Columbia University, rioting students laid siege on Iconic ‘Hamilton Hall’ in April last year. Now, under Trump’s pressure to cut funding, University administration has taken stern action against several pro-Palestinian, pro Hamas students including Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian national and doctoral student at Columbia University. These disciplinary actions include suspensions and expulsions. Promiment student rioters impacted by this decision include Mahmoud Khalil, Leqaa Kordia, Ranjani Srinivasan, and union president Grant Miner. As per the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Ranjani Srinivasan has self-deported herself to Canada after her visa was revoked by the US government citing her support to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.
Srinivasan, who was pursuing a PhD in Urban Planning at Columbia, entered the United States on an F-1 student visa. According to the DHS, she was involved in activities that supported Hamas, which led to the US Department of State revoking her visa on March 5, 2025. Following this decision, she opted to self-deport on March 11, 2025, utilizing the newly launched CBP Home App, a digital tool designed to facilitate voluntary departure.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem issued a strong statement regarding the deportation:
“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. I am glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers use the CBP Home App to self-deport.”
The DHS recently introduced the CBP Home App, which includes a self-deportation reporting feature. This initiative is aimed at encouraging voluntary departures as a more efficient and less costly alternative to traditional immigration enforcement methods. By allowing individuals to document their departure through the app, the program aims to streamline the process and reduce the burden on immigration authorities. These recent actions reflect the Trump administration’s firm stance on immigration violations and individuals linked to extremist activities. As US authorities continue to monitor student visas closely, international students are reminded to adhere strictly to immigration laws to avoid penalties or removal from the country.
Nonetheless, while the Indian national Ranjani Srinivasan got away easily with mere self-deportation, her partner in crime, Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian student from the West Bank, was arrested by ICE HSI Newark officers for overstaying her expired F-1 visa. Her visa was terminated on January 26, 2022, due to a lack of attendance, leading to her arrest by immigration authorities.
These developments under Trump administration are a marked departure from the previous Biden regime when the campuses of prestigious US universities had become the den for pro-Palestianian protests and violent incidences. Incidentally, in Columbia University, rioters shouting “Intifada” took over and laid seige on the Iconic “Hamilton Hall’, late night on 29th April, last year. The pro-Palestianin rioting students also renamed it as “Hind’s Hall” as they drapped the Hall building with a Palestinian flag.
Now, the Columbia University admin has issued multi-year suspensions, temporary degree revocations, and expulsions against these terror sympathising students who occupied the campus building last year. However, it has not disclosed the number of students affected by this disciplinary action.
The move comes after the Trump government had started to pressurise the University. Strikingly, it had recently cut over $400 million in federal funding, accusing the university of failing to address antisemitism on campus.