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A graduate student who left the United States amid concerns about potential detention due to a crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrations is refuting claims made by U.S. authorities regarding her alleged support for Hamas.
“I’m not a ‘terrorist sympathizer,'” stated Ranjani Srinivasan, addressing the labels assigned to her by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its secretary. “I just find it somewhat absurd.”
Currently residing in Canada, Srinivasan expressed her fears for her safety in a conversation with CBC News, which has chosen not to disclose her exact location.
She emphatically denied any involvement in a notable protest at Columbia University, where students occupied a building until police intervened to end the demonstration last spring.
The administration of former President Donald Trump has taken measures aimed at identifying and targeting pro-Palestinian protesters, claiming they are responsible for a number of protests occurring across U.S. college campuses.
In a statement made in January, Trump expressed intentions to deport certain non-citizen college students who participated in these protests.
“I was extremely afraid of being detained,” remarked Srinivasan, noting that the detention of some of her fellow students contributed to her anxiety about her safety.
Unexpected Turn of Events
Until very recently, Srinivasan was pursuing a doctoral degree in urban planning at Columbia University in New York City. She had been deeply engaged in her studies and was often busy grading student assignments, rarely venturing outside her office.
This all changed when she discovered that her student visa was about to be revoked and that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials were actively trying to locate her.
Consequently, she made the decision to leave the U.S., taking a flight from LaGuardia Airport to Canada.
“It feels a bit surreal,” Srinivasan shared, as she continues to process the rapid developments that led to her current situation.
Source
www.cbc.ca