- cross-posted to:
- politics@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- politics@lemmy.world
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up at a Columbia University apartment searching for Ranjani Srinivasan, who had recently learned her student visa had been revoked.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.
What she did is what everyone in her situation should do - not just if your visa is revoked, but if you are one of the target minorities.
It’s hard to get your life turned upside down and leave your comfort overnight, and very unfair. But you don’t want to let them make the first move on you.
As hard as leaving everything behind feels, the chance of being imprisoned and being powerless in case democracy falls and tyranny begins is far, far worse.
Many people who chose not to flee newly-formed totalitarian regimes lived to regret that choice dearly. As did those who didn’t have the choice to begin with.
Escape to safety, then denounce and seek justice and restitution. Safety first, always.
I’ll be joining y’all permanently very soon (through legal means). I live close enough that my community extends into Canada and my partner and I have spent lots of time there. I’m excited to see my friends and community again, and to visit all my favorite spots.
But it’s hard, not gonna lie. It’s very, very, very hard. My partner and I are at the point where we have bugout bags ready to go. We’ve also been grieving everything and everyone we’re leaving behind