Days after federal immigration agents appeared in Ranjani Srinivasan’s apartment-leading her to leave the country for fear of being arrested-the student is contesting the Trump administration’s account of her story.
Srinivasan, 37, Indian citizen and fellow at Columbia University, says he is being persecuted for exercising his right to freedom of expression.
Internal Security Department officials identified her last week as one of two more Columbia University students who were targeted by immigration actions as part of the Trump government’s repression against international students who participated in protests against the war between Israel and Hamas.
Srinivasan has been in the United States since 2016, when he enrolled as a postgraduate student at Harvard University.
Srinivasan’s lawyers said she participated in some protests.
But her lawyers say she did not participate in a protest last year when students occupied the Hamilton Hall, which resulted in dozens of arrests.
The defense states that the night the Hamilton Hall incident happened, she was coming home after spending a night with friends. As she approached her apartment at Columbia University, she found the streets barricated and the police did not allow her to access her apartment.
During the confusion, Srinivasan was arrested. She received a judicial subpoena and was accused of not dispersing and blocking the sidewalk. Both accusations were withdrawn, and she never faced any disciplinary action, her lawyers said.
Her activity on social networks was merely sharing or like posts highlighting human rights violations in the war in Gaza and, in December 2023, she signed an open letter published by the Society of Architecture Historians in support of “Palestinian Liberation”.
Srinivasan, who enrolled in Columbia in 2020 and is also an architect, was attending a doctorate in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. It was expected to form this year.
Since leaving the US last week, Srinivasan says that her enrollment has been revoked without explanation by the university and that she is not sure if she will be able to complete the course she has been looking for for five years.
“Having my visa repealed and then losing my student status changed my life and my future – not because of any irregularity, but because I exercised my right to freedom of expression,” Srinivasan told a statement to a statement to CNN .
Columbia University refused to comment on a request regarding Srinivasan’s enrollment.
Immigration agents visited a student without warrant, say lawyers
Srinivasan found that something was wrong with his visa two weeks ago after being contacted by the US consulate in India, which notified her that her student visa had been revoked.
She contacted Columbia University’s International Student Services Office for help and was informed that sometimes visa revocation and she could simply request a new visa when or if she left the country.
Until then, she would have legal status as a student enrolled and could continue her teacher functions at Barnard College, the university said.
It was during that call that immigration agents first appeared at Srinivasan’s door. She says she didn’t let them get in.
According to the student’s lawyers, immigration agents returned to their apartment the next night, almost the same as federal immigration agents arrived at Columbia University campus and arrested Mahmoud Khalil, an important Palestinian activist who was closely involved in the campus protests against the war between Israel and Hamas.
Khalil, who is married to an American citizen and is a permanent legal resident, continues in custody at an Ice Na Louisiana detention center.
Khalil completed his master’s degree at Columbia University in December. He was arrested and detained by federal agents on March 8, after his lawyer said the Trump administration revoked his Green Card.
Khalil’s wife, eight months pregnant, was present during his arrest.
Nearly 100 people were arrested on Thursday after protesters gathered at Trump Tower in Manhattan to denounce Khalil’s arrest. Khalil’s lawyers filed a motion for their release on Friday (14), arguing that Khalil’s first amendment and the rights of due process were violated during his arrest.
Srinivasan’s lawyers say the police had no warrant during the initial visit and threatened to return to her apartment until they could contact her.
On Tuesday (11), Srinivasan made the decision to leave the US and go to Canada.
“I came to the US to study. American universities are places where students can learn and get involved in political discourses without fear of retaliation. I just want to complete my studies so I could finish what I started, ”Srinivasan said in a statement.
Last week, the secretary of the Department of Internal Security, Kristi Noem, posted a video in the X showing Srinivasan walking around an airport while leaving the country. In a publication, Noem said that Srinivasan used a US border customs and self -supporting application – an allegation that his lawyers now deny.
“Although it did not do anything wrong, Mrs. Srinivasan reserved a flight out of the country to comply with the US law, which gave him a period of 15 days to leave after the internal security department illegally ended its student status,” said Nathan Yaffe, Srinivasan’s lawyer in a statement.
“The fact that the internal security department falsely claims that it has ‘self -ode’ through a CBP app only points out that the government persecution is based on inventions, not facts,” Yaffe said.
THE CNN contacted the department authorities to comment.
The department confirmed last week that Srinivasan’s visa was revoked according to an obscure legal status that gives the secretary of state authority to act if he or she believes that a non -citizen “would have potentially serious adverse consequences in US foreign policy.”
THE CNN He previously reported that the Trump government is using the law rarely used to reach students who may have been involved in protests last year.
Department officials also confirmed that Srinivasan did not disclose both quotes in his latest visa, although it is unclear if this is the only basis for revocation.
This content was originally published as a student detained by protest disputes charges from the Trump administration on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
