Columbia student released after school says ICE lied to access dorm, arrest her

U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials allegedly misrepresented themselves to gain access to a Columbia University residence hall where they detained a foreign student, officials at the Ivy League school said.

The student, identified as Elmina Aghayeva, was in DHS custody for hours on Thursday, Feb. 26. Her release comes after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he spoke to President Donald Trump about her detention during a White House meeting, and the president told him that she would be released "imminently."

Aghayeva, a native of Azerbaijan, wrote in a post on social media Thursday afternoon, "I am so grateful for everyone of you. I just got out a little while ago." The student has a large following online, and a post about her being arrested by immigration agents was widely circulated.

Aghayeva wrote she was "safe and okay" but also "in complete shock over what happened."

In an email to USA TODAY, DHS confirmed Aghayeva was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and said her student visa expired in 2016. DHS did not respond to Columbia University’s accusations that agents misrepresented themselves to gain access to Aghayeva’s dorm.

USA TODAY has reached out to the White House for more information.

'Made misrepresentations to gain entry': Aghayeva’s arrest

Columbia University said in a statement that Aghayeva was arrested after federal agents "made misrepresentations to gain entry" to the student’s residence.

"This morning at approximately 6:30 a.m., federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security entered a Columbia Residential building and detained a student," Claire Shipman, acting president of the university, wrote in the statement. "Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a 'missing person.'"

The Ivy League school did not immediately confirm how exactly ICE agents may have misrepresented themselves. Homeland Security said officers were let into the residence by the building manager and Aghayeva's roommate but didn't respond to Columbia's accusations.

The school announced a new set of precautions to ensure authorities would not gain access to the university without administrators’ permission.

Columbia said it will deploy staff to student dorms to watch for immigration agents; have staff ask agents for identification if they try to access non-public buildings; and agents must show a subpoena or warrant from a judge.

Aghayeva said in a post announcing her release that she would not take questions from reporters.

Who is Aghayeva?

The student at the center of the case is a native of Azerbaijan who, according to the New York Times and student-run Columbia Daily Spectator, goes by the first name Ellie. She is a senior in the university's School of General Studies, majoring in neuroscience and political science.

An Instagram account attributed to Aghayeva features influencer-style posts about her life as a Columbia student. The account has more than 100,000 followers.

A post shared on the account Thursday morning with the caption "Dhs illegally arrested me. Please help" became widely shared, sparking outcry over her detainment.

Arrest sparks outrage from NY politicians, education advocates

The arrest drew scrutiny from local officials, including New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and New York City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu who, in a joint statement, called the incident "disturbing."

"ICE has no place in our schools and universities," they said in a statement on X. "These activities do not make our city or country safer, but rather drive mistrust and danger. 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 also condemned the agency's actions.

"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," Hochul wrote in a post on X. "I’ve proposed a bill that would ban ICE from entering sensitive locations like schools and dorms. Let’s get it passed now."

Former Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil also arrested in campus housing

The incident comes less than a year after the arrest of former Columbia graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil in the lobby of his Manhattan student apartment building, USA TODAY previously reported.

A Palestinian born in Syria with legal U.S. residency, Khalil was held in immigration detention from early March through mid-June, when he was released. His case was the first of several high-profile incidents in which pro-Palestinian student activists were detained and targeted for deportation despite being lawful residents.

Khalil remained free on bail on Feb. 26, court records show, while a federal lawsuit remained pending in district court, in which he asserted his detention violated his constitutional rights of free speech and due process.

Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas, Hannan Adely, and Michael Loria with USA TODAY

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.