Indian PhD Student Ranjani Srinivasan Feels 'Betrayed' by Columbia University, Hopes for Change

Indian PhD student Ranjani Srinivasan remains hopeful that Columbia University will reconsider her appeal and reinstate her enrollment after her student visa was revoked over allegations of 'supporting Hamas.'

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Srinivasan expressed her deep sense of betrayal by the institution she dedicated years of hard work to.

"I spent five years at Columbia, working - I don't know - maybe 100 hours a week sometimes. I never expected the institution to let me down. But it did," she said.

Srinivasan, who was pursuing a doctorate in public planning before the Donald Trump administration revoked her visa, insists that she has met all requirements for her PhD. She believes she should be allowed to complete the remaining formalities remotely.

"I hope Columbia comes to its senses and re-enrolls me. All the requirements for my PhD are complete, and whatever is left, I don't even need to be in the US for. So I'm trying to appeal to Columbia to do that," she stated.

The Case of Ranjani Srinivasan

Srinivasan first learned of her visa revocation on March 5 when she received an email from the United States consulate in Chennai. While she was still trying to understand the situation and reaching out to her PhD group and university officials, ICE agents arrived at her residence.

Shortly afterward, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly labeled her a "terrorist sympathiser" in a post on X.

Realizing the potential risk of arrest, Srinivasan left New York and flew to Canada on March 11, four days before Noem's statement. A grainy security camera footage from New York's LaGuardia Airport showing her dragging a suitcase quickly went viral.

Now in Canada, she is staying with friends and family while continuing her efforts to persuade Columbia University to allow her to complete her PhD.