Mamdani says Trump told him ICE-detained Columbia student ‘will be released imminently’

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Thursday that President Trump had assured him of the forthcoming release of a Columbia University student who had been detained on campus earlier in the day.

Ellie Aghayeva was indeed released later in the day.

“In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elaina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning. He has just informed me that she will be released imminently,” Mamdani wrote Thursday on the social platform X.  

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. 

Aghayeva, an international student in her senior year studying neuroscience and political science, was detained early Thursday morning after federal agents entered a residential building.  

Columbia says immigration officials “made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building” in order to arrest Aghayeva. The university says it does not let federal agents into nonpublic buildings without a judicial warrant. 

“Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a ‘missing person.’ We are working to gather more details,” said Claire Shipman, acting president of the school.  

“If law enforcement agents seek entry to non-public areas of the University, ask the agents to wait to enter any non-public areas until contacting Public Safety. Public Safety will contact the Office of the General Counsel to coordinate the University’s response. Do not allow them to enter or accept service of a warrant or subpoena,” Shipman added. 

In a statement to the Columbia Daily Spectator, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Aghayeva’s visa was terminated back in 2016 for failing to attend class.  

“The building manager and her roommate let officers into the apartment. She has no pending appeals or applications with DHS,” the statement said. 

Updated at 5:11 p.m. EST

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