Detained Columbia Student Elaina Aghayeva Released After ICE Arrest - Forbes

Topline

A Columbia University student was released from custody apparently after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke with President Donald Trump about her arrest, which allegedly happened when agents lied about their identities to enter campus housing.

Key Facts

Elaina Aghayeva, who boasts more than 100,000 followers on both TikTok and Instagram, posted on her Instagram story early Thursday, “DHS illegally arrested me. Please help.”

Aghayeva posted a follow-up story late Thursday afternoon confirming her release, saying she was “safe and okay” but in “complete shock,” adding, “I will come back soon.”

Mamdani said Thursday he had a phone conversation with Trump and shared his concerns about the arrest of Aghayeva, posting the president told him the student “will be released imminently.”

Aghayeva is an international student who was detained in her campus apartment around 6:30 a.m. Thursday when Department of Homeland Security agents misrepresented themselves under the guise of searching for a “missing person,” according to Claire Shipman, the acting president at Columbia.

In a follow-up letter, campus officials urged students to call public safety officers if federal agents attempt to gain entry into buildings and to not allow them to enter non-public areas without a warrant or subpoena.

Hundreds of people attended a protest on the Columbia campus Thursday afternoon, rallying against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its arrest of Aghayeva.

Crucial Quote

“ICE has no place in our schools and universities. These activities do not make our city or country safer, but rather drive mistrust and danger,” New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin said in a joint statement with the council’s majority leader, Shaun Abreu, both Democrats. “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 said the ICE agents did not have a proper warrant, “so they lied to gain access to a student’s private residence.”

Who Is Ellie Aghayeva?

Aghayeva is a senior with a double major in neuroscience and political science, according to the Times, and often detailed her study routine and provided tips for fellow students on her social media platforms. The City, a New York publication that obtained Aghayeva’s petition asking for her release, said the student is from Azerbaijan and arrived in the United States in 2016. School of general studies dean Lisa Rosen-Mestch said in a letter to students the school is “working in collaboration with University administration” to support Aghayeva and her family, according to the Columbia Spectator.

Classmate Describes Aghayeva As An ‘extremely Dedicated Student’

David Orozco, a Columbia student set to graduate in May, told Forbes he has had multiple classes with Aghayeva and said he often talks and hangs out with her afterward. He said in a phone interview Aghayeva is an “extremely dedicated student” whose social media presence is “pretty real to how she is in person.” Orozco said he is “just confused why they have arrested her all of people,” adding that Aghayeva is not a political person and has not posted on her social media platforms anything against President Donald Trump or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Key Background

The detainment comes amid heightened scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement on college campuses following the high-profile detainment of Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil in 2024. Khalil was arrested in what his attorneys called an aggressive and legally questionable operation, one that drew national attention and sparked student-led protests. Khalil, a Palestinian refugee, was later freed from immigration detention after more than three months. The Times said Khalil is still fighting deportation.