Additional Coverage:
- Columbia University student says she has been released after being detained by DHS agents (nbcnews.com)
Columbia Student Detained, Then Released, Following Early Morning Immigration Raid
NEW YORK, NY – A Columbia University student, Elmina Aghayeva, was detained by immigration agents early Thursday morning in a campus residence, only to be released hours later amidst a firestorm of protest and allegations of misrepresentation by federal officials. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from local and state leaders, reigniting concerns about federal immigration enforcement tactics on university campuses.
According to university officials, federal agents allegedly misrepresented themselves to gain entry to the residence hall where Aghayeva, an international student from Azerbaijan, was staying. Claire Shipman, Columbia’s acting president, stated in a letter to the campus community that the school’s initial understanding was that “federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a ‘missing person.'”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Aghayeva, citing the termination of her student visa in 2016 “for failing to attend classes.” DHS maintained that its agents wore badges and verbally identified themselves, and that “the building manager and her roommate let officers into the apartment.”
Aghayeva, a senior majoring in neuroscience and political science, expressed her shock and relief on Instagram after her release, stating, “I am safe and okay.” Her lawyer had filed a habeas corpus petition with the Southern District of New York earlier in the day, challenging her detention.
The arrest sparked immediate outrage. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, currently in Washington, D.C., communicated with President Donald Trump about the concerns, tweeting that he was informed Aghayeva would be released imminently.
Governor Kathy Hochul also weighed in, stating that if the allegations of misrepresentation proved true, it would demonstrate that ICE is “an organization that is out of control.” She further alleged on X that “ICE agents didn’t have the proper warrant, so they lied to gain access to a student’s private residence.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., echoed these sentiments, calling the allegations “unacceptable” and “outrageous.”
The incident prompted an emergency rally outside the university gates, drawing approximately 100 people, according to the Columbia Spectator.
In response to the raid, Columbia University has reinforced its policies regarding law enforcement access to campus. Shipman reminded the community that federal agents require judicial warrants or subpoenas to enter nonpublic areas of the school, and that “an administrative warrant is not sufficient.” She urged students, faculty, and staff to contact the university’s public safety office if law enforcement requests access, and “Do not allow them to enter or accept service of a warrant or subpoena.”
An internal ICE memo from May reportedly allows agents to use administrative warrants for forcible entry if a judge has issued a “final order of removal,” a departure from previous norms that required a judge-signed warrant for such entries.
Columbia University has since increased patrols and staffing in residential buildings and plans to host an educational webinar on immigration policy and understanding the law. Residential staff have been instructed not to allow law enforcement entry into buildings in nonemergency situations without the presence of Columbia Public Safety and guidance from the Office of the General Counsel.
This incident is not the first time Columbia University has found itself at the center of political controversy. The university has been a flashpoint for protests against Israel’s war in Gaza and has faced criticism from President Trump, including the cancellation of federal grants last year over allegations of failing to address harassment of Jewish students. The university later agreed to a $200 million settlement and policy changes to restore its funding.
Last year, Homeland Security agents also executed search warrants on two Columbia residences, days after the arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, then a graduate student. Khalil, a legal permanent resident, was released after three months in detention following widespread protests. His legal status remains uncertain after an appeals court overturned a lower court ruling last month.