Hours later, Mahmoud Khalil, another Columbia student, was arrested from his campus apartment by federal immigration authorities, sending shockwaves throughout the university.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that Srinivasan had voluntarily self-deported through the CBP Home App. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem commented: “It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States. When you advocate for violence and terrorism, that privilege must be revoked, and you no longer belong in this country.”Srinivasan’s ordeal is part of a larger, aggressive crackdown under the Trump administration aimed at pro-Palestinian demonstrators. She is one of several noncitizens at Columbia University who have found themselves targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in recent days.Over the past week, Srinivasan has struggled to come to terms with the sudden revocation of her visa and Columbia’s subsequent decision to withdraw her enrollment as a result of her legal status being terminated. She had been blindsided by the entire turn of events.In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called Srinivasan a “terrorist sympathiser,” accusing her of supporting violence in support of Hamas, a group that the US government designates as a terrorist organization. However, these accusations have been firmly denied by Srinivasan’s legal team.
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