US arrests second Columbia University student

US immigration officials said on Friday that a second student at Columbia University has been arrested and the visa of another one has been revoked, amid a crackdown on pro-Palestine activism.

The US Department of Homeland Security said the detention of Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian student from the occupied West Bank, was based on her overstaying a student visa, which was terminated in January 2022 for “lack of attendance”.

In April 2024, Kordia was arrested for engaging in protests at Columbia University.

The visa of another doctoral student and Indian citizen, Ranjani Srinivasan, was revoked on 5 March for “advocating for violence and terrorism”.

Srinivasan decided to “self-deport”, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The announcement came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US will likely revoke more student visas in the coming days.

The punishment of Columbia students follows the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian Columbia University graduate and activist who participated in pro-Palestine protests on campus, and is currently facing deportation.