New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Thursday that President Donald Trump is set to release Columbia University student Elaina Aghayeva, who was detained earlier the same day by federal agents. Columbia University confirmed her release shortly after 4:15 p.m. ET in a tweet, with Mamdani revealing he had spoken with Trump about the situation.
Aghayeva, an Azerbaijan native, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after her student visa was terminated during the Obama administration in 2016. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official indicated that she was taken from a university-owned residential building around 6:30 a.m. The email from Claire Shipman, acting president of Columbia, noted that ICE agents misrepresented their intentions to gain entry to Aghayeva’s apartment.
“The federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a ‘missing person,'” Shipman stated in her communication, which was obtained by CNBC.
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal criticized ICE’s tactics, alleging that agents used a fabricated missing persons bulletin about a five-year-old girl to mislead university staff and secure access to the apartment. This incident has intensified scrutiny of the administration’s aggressive immigration policies, which have sparked significant controversy.
Earlier this month, border czar Tom Homan indicated a potential reduction in immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, where two U.S. citizens were killed by immigration officials this year. The backlash against the administration’s immigration strategies has grown, particularly following these tragic incidents.
As per university policy, law enforcement agents must present a judicial warrant or subpoena to enter non-public campus areas, and federal agents should wait for the university’s public safety team to be contacted before entering private housing, Shipman clarified in her email.
Columbia University has faced increasing scrutiny from the White House since Trump resumed presidency last year. In June, the Department of Education declared that the Ivy League institution did not meet accreditation standards due to alleged violations of federal antidiscrimination laws. Subsequently, in July, Columbia agreed to pay $200 million to the federal government to restore funding that had been cut by the Trump administration.
This incident is not the first time a Columbia student has faced challenges with ICE detainment; Mahmoud Khalil was released after months in custody last year. The White House did not comment directly on the situation but referred inquiries to DHS prior to Mamdani’s announcement of Aghayeva’s release.
The unfolding events at Columbia University reflect ongoing national conversations about immigration enforcement and have raised important questions about the treatment of students under the current administration’s policies. As the situation develops, many are watching closely to see how it may impact university policies and the broader community of international students in the U.S.
Original Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/26/columbia-ice-dhs-immigration-detainment.html
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Publish Date: 2026-02-27 03:24:00
