Federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) searched student dormitories at Columbia University as part of an ongoing federal probe into immigration violations and student activism. The searches, conducted under court-approved warrants, did not result in immediate arrests or seizures, according to Columbia’s Interim President Katrina Armstrong.
The next day, DHS confirmed the arrest of Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian student from the West Bank, for overstaying her student visa, which had been terminated in 2022 due to lack of attendance. Kordia had been an active participant in campus protests supporting Gaza. Another student, Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian doctoral student, had her visa revoked over alleged ties to Hamas and was forced to leave the U.S. earlier this month.
The Justice Department is also investigating whether Columbia harbored undocumented immigrants and if past student protests violated federal laws. Meanwhile, the government has revoked $400 million in federal funding from Columbia, citing concerns over its handling of antisemitism on campus. The university now faces pressure to implement stricter disciplinary policies, including a mask ban and oversight of certain academic departments, to restore funding.
These actions highlight growing tensions between federal authorities and academic institutions, raising concerns over free speech, student activism, and immigration policies.
