The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has led to the arrest of a second Columbia University student by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, while another student had her visa revoked and left the country voluntarily, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
DHS officials confirmed that one student, Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman from the West Bank, was taken into custody by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark for allegedly staying in the U.S. on an expired F-1 student visa. The woman had previously been arrested in April 2024 for participating in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University.
A second student, Ranjani Srinivasan, a doctoral candidate in urban planning from India, also had her student visa revoked after DHS accused her of engaging in activities that allegedly supported Hamas. DHS officials say she used the CBP app to self-deport within a week of the revocation.
ICE Raids Spark Outrage on Campus
Tensions at Columbia University have been running high as DHS agents searched dorm rooms of two students on Thursday night after obtaining judicial warrants. While no arrests were made during the searches, the school’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, described the situation as “heartbreaking” for the campus community.
The news comes as nearly 100 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at a demonstration inside Trump Tower in New York City, calling for the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student who was taken into ICE custody earlier this year. Khalil, who has no criminal charges against him, is currently detained in Louisiana and faces deportation under a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows removal on foreign policy grounds.
Trump has celebrated Khalil’s arrest, calling it “the first of many” as part of his push to deport international students involved in what he calls “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity.” Civil rights groups and Khalil’s attorneys argue that the administration is using immigration laws to silence activists, setting a dangerous precedent for student rights in the U.S.
With protests intensifying and legal battles underway, the fate of these students remains uncertain. Baller Alert will keep you updated as the situation develops.
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