An Indian doctoral student who took part in pro-Palestinian protests in April 2024, during Israel’s war on Gaza at Columbia University, has self-deported using the CBP Home App, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced.

The department released a video showing Ranjani Srinivasan at what appears to be an airport, hurriedly walking down a jetway with her luggage. She departed on Tuesday, March 11, according to the DHS.

The State Department revoked her visa on Wednesday, March 5, after accusing her of supporting Hamas.

Ranjani had arrived in the US on an F-1 student visa to pursue a doctoral degree in Urban Planning.

In a statement on X, Secretary Kristi Noem said, “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 Hamas sympathisers use the CBP Home App to self-deport.”

In a separate incident, another student, Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian from the West Bank, was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for breaching the terms of her student visa. The department stated that her visa had been terminated in 2022 for “lack of attendance.”

Kordia is the second protester connected to the pro-Palestinian protests to be detained by ICE this month. The first was Columbia graduate and Green Card holder Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained on Saturday, March 8. He is currently being held at a detention centre in Louisiana.

These events come amid a crackdown by the US administration on student activists, who have been deemed liable for arrest and deportation for allegedly supporting antisemitic sentiment towards Israel.

It also comes after the government cut 400 million US dollars in federal funding for Columbia on Friday, March 7. Columbia was among 60 institutions threatened with further cuts in a letter from US authorities.

On Monday, March 10, the US Department of Education notified 60 institutions that they were under investigation for “antisemitic harassment and discrimination” and warned of possible law enforcement actions if they failed to “protect Jewish students.”

Columbia University has been at the centre of some of the most heated protests against Israel’s war in Gaza with support for Hamas. On April 30, 2024, a group of students, staff, and alumni occupied Hamilton Hall, an academic building on campus, before being forcibly removed by New York police at the university’s request.

On Thursday, March 13, Columbia announced that students involved in the Hamilton Hall protest from the previous year had received suspensions ranging from several years to outright expulsions following the university’s investigation.

“Columbia is committed to upholding the University’s Rules and Policies and refining our disciplinary processes,” the university said.

Graduates involved in the protest will also have their degrees revoked. The university did not disclose the names or the exact number of students affected by the judicial board’s sanctions.