ICE arrests Columbia University student at campus residence hall
U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials allegedly misrepresented themselves to gain access to a Columbia University residence hall where they detained a foreign student, officials at the Ivy League school said.
The student, identified as Elmina Aghayeva, was in DHS custody for hours on Feb. 26. Her release comes after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he spoke to President Donald Trump about her detention during a White House meeting, and the president told him that she would be released “imminently.”
Aghayeva, a native of Azerbaijan, wrote in a post on social media Thursday afternoon, “I am so grateful for everyone of you. I just got out a little while ago.” The student has a large following online, and a post about her being arrested by immigration agents was widely circulated.
Aghayeva wrote she was “safe and okay” but also “in complete shock over what happened.”
In an email to USA TODAY, DHS confirmed Aghayeva was arrested by ICE and said her student visa expired in 2016. DHS did not respond to Columbia University’s accusations that agents misrepresented themselves to gain access to Aghayeva’s dorm.
USA TODAY has reached out to the White House for more information.
In an announcement sent to the university community, Columbia’s acting President Claire Shipman said DHS agents entered a Columbia residential building about 6:30 a.m. local time and detained a student.
“Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a ‘missing person,'” Shipman wrote. “We are working to gather more information, working to reach the family, and providing legal support.”
In its email, DHS said officers were let into the residence by the building manager and Aghayeva’s roommate.
Reporting from the New York Times and student-run Columbia Daily Spectator said Aghayeva goes by the first name Ellie and identified her as a senior in the university’s School of General Studies, majoring in neuroscience and political science.
An Instagram account attributed to Aghayeva, which features influencer posts about her life as a Columbia student, has more than 100,000 followers.
Kimberly Winston with the university’s office of public affairs told USA TODAY the school was not releasing additional information about the incident or student but said it would provide updates as they develop.
“It is important to reiterate that all law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, including housing, classrooms, and areas requiring CUID swipe access,” Shipman said.
If law enforcement agents seek entry to non-public areas of the university, Shipman instructed students and faculty ask the officers “to wait to enter any non-public areas” until contacting the school’s Public Safety department.
“Public Safety will contact the Office of the General Counsel to coordinate the University’s response. Do not allow them to enter or accept service of a warrant or subpoena,” Shipman instructed.
Arrest sparks outrage from NY politicians, education advocates
The arrest drew scrutiny from local officials including New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and New York City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu who, in a joint statement, called the incident “disturbing.”
“ICE has no place in our schools and universities,” their statement posted on X said. “These activities do not make our city or country safer, but rather drive mistrust and danger. As Columbia College alumni, our hearts are with the community there, and we have been in contact with the University to offer our assistance.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also condemned the agency’s actions.
“Let’s be clear about what happened: ICE agents didn’t have the proper warrant, so they lied to gain access to a student’s private residence,” Hochul wrote in a post on X. “I’ve proposed a bill that would ban ICE from entering sensitive locations like schools and dorms. Let’s get it passed now.”
“We are outraged by reports that Department of Homeland Security agents misrepresented themselves to gain entry to a Columbia University residential building and abduct an international student,” said Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, a higher education advocacy group.
Former Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil also arrested in campus housing
The incident comes less than a year after the arrest of former Columbia graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil in the lobby of his Manhattan student apartment building, USA TODAY previously reported.
A Palestinian born in Syria with legal U.S. residency, Khalil was held in immigration detention from early March through mid-June, when he was released. His case was the first of several high-profile incidents in which pro-Palestinian student activists were detained and targeted for deportation despite being a lawful residents.
Khalil remained free on bail on Feb. 26, court records show, while a federal lawsuit remained pending in district court, in which the he asserted his detention violated his constitutional rights of free speech and due process.
Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas, Hannan Adely, and Michael Loria with USA TODAY
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
