She was set to graduate from Columbia in May. Then ICE came knocking

NPR

Published March 18, 2025 at 9:14 AM EDT

Ranjani Srinivasan was an international Columbia University student finishing up her doctoral program in urban planning. But then ICE came knocking on her door, as a result of President Trump's recent crackdown on foreign nationals who took part in pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses. Srinivasan talks about the circumstances that led to her fleeing to Canada.

Then, President of Mount Holyoke College Danielle Holley talks about the Trump administration's attempts to punish conduct, thinking and research at universities that the White House finds objectionable.

And, the U.S. carried out strikes on targets controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen over the weekend, killing dozens. Security analyst Jim Walsh joins us to talk about what the strikes signal for U.S. relations with Iran.

Plus, the March Madness college basketball tournament gets underway this week. The Gist's Lauren Tuiskula shares a preview.

Connect with us:

Find more stories from today's show here.

Subscribe to our podcast here.