Who is Ranjani Srinivasan, who ‘self-deported’ from US? What is self-deportation?
The CBP Home app was launched on March 10 and Ranjani Srinivasan used it to self-deport the day after
An Indian student at Columbia University, Ranjani Srinivasan, has self-deported after their visa was revoked for allegedly “advocating for violence and terrorism” and being “involved in activities supporting Hamas”, according to the US Department of Homeland Security.
The Department of Homeland Security said it has obtained video footage of Ranjani using the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home app to self-deport on March 11.
Who is Ranjani Srinivasan?
Ranjani, a citizen and national of India, was in the US on an F-1 student visa as a doctoral student in Urban Planning at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP). The Department of State revoked their visa on March 5.
According to the Columbia University website, Ranjani's research — which received support from the Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute — was focused on the evolving nature of land-labour relations in peri-urban statutory towns in India.
Also read: Indian student at Columbia University gets visa revoked for 'supporting Hamas'; self-deports
Ranjani has an MPhil in Urban Planning from GSAPP, a Master’s Degree from Harvard University with Fulbright Nehru and Inlaks Scholarships, and a Bachelor of Design (BDes) degree from Ahmedabad’s CEPT (Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology) University.
According to the GSAPP website, Ranjani uses the gender-neutral pronoun “they”. Their areas of interest include the political economy of development, the spatial politics of land, and the sociology of labour. Their professional work spans diverse sectors, including architecture, international development, planning advocacy, and research.
Ranjani reportedly also worked for an environmental advocacy non-profit organisation in Washington on “frontier communities at risk from climate change” and as a researcher for the West Philadelphia Landscape Project (WPLP) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
What is self-deportation?
The US Department of Homeland Security on March 10 launched the CBP Home app with a self-deportation reporting feature for those illegally staying in the country. The latter can use the CBP Home mobile phone application to submit their intent to depart the country.
The CBP app gives such individuals the option to “leave now and self-deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream. If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return”, the Homeland Security Department said.
Also read: Green card doesn’t mean you can stay in US for ever, says Vance
The CBP Home app can be downloaded for free either from Google Play Store or Apple App. It has several services, one of which is the “Intent to Depart” option. Users can also apply for a provisional I-94 prior to arrival and check estimated border wait times using the app.
How to self-deport using CBP app
- Select the “Departing Traveler” option and fill in the form choosing a suitable language.
- Click on “Submit Intent to Depart”
- Upload a photo
- Provide the mandatory biographical information
- Answer questions on whether you have a valid passport and enough money to deport.
- Review all details and click on “Submit”.
Trump’s crackdown on Columbia University
Last week, the Trump administration announced the immediate cancellation of around $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University due to the “school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students”.
Also read: US halts use of military planes to deport illegal immigrants: Report
US President Donald Trump has asserted that any college or university that allows illegal protests and repeatedly fails to protect students from anti-Semitic harassment on campus will be subject to the loss of federal funding.