Columbia University Student Detained by ICE After Agents Allegedly 'Made ... - People.com

Columbia University Student Detained by ICE After Agents Allegedly 'Made Misrepresentations' to Campus Security Ellie Aghayeva was released a few hours after being detained By Ben Brachfeld Published on February 26, 2026 02:35PM EST 7 Comments Ellie Aghayeva. Credit : Ellie Aghayeva/Instagram NEED TO KNOW Federal immigration agents detained a Columbia University neuroscience researcher early Thursday morningThe school alleges the agents "made misrepresentations" in order to gain access to the buildingThe student was later released after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani brought up her case to President Trump in a meeting, Mamdani said A Columbia University student was detained by immigration officials Thursday morning after federal agents allegedly "made misrepresentations" to campus security, the university says. In a message to the Columbia community, acting university President Claire Shipman said that Homeland Security agents detained a student at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26. "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 details." The letter did not identify the student, but the university's main student newspaper, the Columbia Spectator, identified them as Ellie Aghayeva — a neuroscience researcher originally from Azerbaijan set to graduate this year from the School of General Studies. Aghayeva's detention was confirmed by a DHS official when reached by PEOPLE. Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now! On Thursday morning, Aghayeva posted on her Instagram story, "Dhs illegally arrested me. Please help." Reached for comment, a DHS spokesperson said Aghayeva's student visa had been terminated for failing to attend classes in 2016, and that the building manager and her roommate had allowed agents into the apartment. In her message, Shipman said that federal agents are not allowed to enter non-public areas of the university without presenting a judicial warrant. It's unclear if one was presented on Thursday, though New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on social media that the proper warrant wasn't furnished. "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," said Hochul. The Manhattan Borough President, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, alleged that agents had presented a "phony missing persons bulletin for a 5-year-old girl" to enter the building. Students and faculty held an "emergency rally" to protest Aghayeva's detention midday Thursday, the Spectator reported. On Thursday afternoon, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that Aghayeva was to be "released imminently" after he brought up concerns over her detention during a meeting with President Donald Trump. Aghayeva posted on Instagram soon afterward that she had been released, and was "in complete shock over what happened." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Aghayeva's detention follows those last year of fellow students Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi, both of whom are Green Card holders who were active leaders of Pro-Palestine protests on Columbia's campus. Both have since been released, though Khalil was detained for three months without charges and missed the birth of his son. In September 2025, a judge ruled that the federal government had violated their constitutional rights. The case against Mahdawi has since been terminated, however, Homeland Security is seeking to deport Khalil again after a judge overturned a previous order requiring his release from detention. Close Leave a Comment Read more: Crime Crime News