Ranjani Srinivasan’s student visa was revoked by U.S. immigration authorities. That was just the start of her odyssey.

The first knock at the door came eight days ago, on a Friday morning.

Three federal immigration agents showed up at a Columbia University apartment searching for Ranjani Srinivasan, who had recently learned her student visa had been revoked. Ms. Srinivasan, an international student from India, did not open the door.

She was not home when the agents showed up again the next night, just hours before a former Columbia student living in campus housing, Mahmoud Khalil, was detained, roiling the university. Ms. Srinivasan packed a few belongings, left her cat behind with a friend and jumped on a flight to Canada at LaGuardia Airport.

When the agents returned a third time, this past Thursday night, and entered her apartment with a judicial warrant, she was gone.

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  • Perhapsjustsniffit@lemmy.ca
    311·
    22 hours ago

    Welcome to Canada. Thank you for seeing us as a friendly state. Anyone in America feeling the crunch from the fascist leadership because of who they are or what they stand for should feel welcome here and know that we will listen to your story and do what we can to help you.

    • Nora@lemmy.ml
      42·
      17 hours ago

      I mean the situation here ain’t too great for Indian students either.

      There’s a lot of racists all around, and especially there’s a lot of racism towards young Indians.

      • Auli@lemmy.caEnglish
        15·
        8 hours ago

        Sure and why is that? Our government allowed to many people in to fast and the vast majority of them are Indian.

        • Nora@lemmy.ml
          2·
          4 hours ago

          Orrr… Orrr hear me out. They haven’t been building enough homes.

          Their issues are with rich NIMBY greedy people who bribe and pressure and are politicians.

      • shawn1122@lemm.eeEnglish
        61·
        16 hours ago

        The difference is the racism is state sanctioned in the US.

        Running into a racist troglodyte on the street is never going to be the same as being thrown in a detention center because you did ‘free speech’ wrong and are the wrong skin tone.

      • Perhapsjustsniffit@lemmy.ca
        4·
        17 hours ago

        I agree with you. However 12 days in detention would prove it’s even a bit more over the top south of the border. this young woman felt it was so much safer she fled law enforcement to come to a country with extradition treaties that is not her home. That’s gotta say something as well.

    • GalacticGrapefruit@lemmy.world
      31·
      18 hours ago

      If all of us flee to Canada, there will be no one left to fight back.

      We love you for welcoming those of us who can’t stay. But someone has to.