Federal immigration authorities detained a Columbia University student in her campus apartment early Thursday, claiming to search for a missing person. Hours later, she was released following intervention by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a meeting with President Donald Trump. The student, Ellie Aghayeva, described herself as safe but in shock on social media.
On Thursday morning, agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) entered the university-owned apartment of Ellie Aghayeva, a senior at Columbia University studying neuroscience and politics. According to a petition from her lawyers and a statement from Columbia, the agents gained access by stating they were looking for a missing person. Aghayeva, originally from Azerbaijan and known as a content creator with over 100,000 Instagram followers, quickly posted to her account: "DHS illegally arrested me. Please help." The post included a photo appearing to show her legs in the back of a vehicle.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that Aghayeva's student visa had been terminated in 2016 due to failing to attend classes. Her attorneys confirmed she entered the United States on a visa around that time but provided no further details on her immigration status. McLaughlin denied claims that agents posed as New York City police officers, though she did not address the missing person assertion.
The detention sparked protests on campus and raised concerns about entry methods by federal agents. In recent months, similar tactics, such as posing as utility workers, have been reported in other cities like Minneapolis. Immigration attorneys note these ruses are generally legal but increasingly common under the Trump administration.
Later that afternoon, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on social media that he had raised concerns about the arrest during an unrelated meeting with Trump, who agreed to release Aghayeva immediately. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, also urged Trump to drop deportation cases against other Columbia students involved in pro-Palestinian protests. Aghayeva, not publicly linked to those demonstrations, posted shortly after: "I am safe and okay," adding she was in "complete shock."
Columbia's acting president, Claire Shipman, emailed the community reminding staff not to allow federal law enforcement into buildings without a subpoena or warrant and to contact Public Safety if agents are encountered. Professor Michael Thaddeus, vice president of the university's American Association of University Professors chapter, called the incident "a horrifying sign that the roving eye of the administration is turning back to Columbia," likening it to practices in authoritarian regimes.
This event follows the March arrest of former Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, whose deportation case continues, and comes amid Trump's renewed criticisms of universities including Columbia, which settled a $220 million payment with the administration over the summer.
