Ellie Aghayeva, a Columbia University student who was detained by the federal immigration authorities on Thursday morning, was abruptly released a few hours later. She was reportedly released after an apparent intervention by US President Donald Trump, who was meeting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The ICE agencies had allegedly gained entry to the university-owned residence by posing as police officers searching for a missing child. This triggered massive protests on campus.
Who is Ellie Aghayeva?
Ellie Aghayeva aka Elmina Aghayeva, is a senior from Azerbaijan studying neuroscience and politics at Columbia University. A self-described content creator, she has amassed a large social media following by sharing day-in-the-life videos and tips for navigating college as an immigrant.
She hasn’t been publicly linked to any of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations that roiled Columbia’s campus.
Aghayeva had alerted over 100,000 of her followers on Instagram about her arrest. “DHS illegally arrested me. Please help,” she wrote in a story along with a photo showing her legs in the back seat of a vehicle.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Aghayeva’s student visa had been terminated in 2016 for failing to attend classes.
Here’s what happened:
Five federal agents gained entry to Aghayeva’s apartment at 6 am on Thursday by claiming they were searching for a missing child, according to a petition from her lawyers and a statement released by Columbia’s acting president, Claire Shipman.
“The agents gained entry by stating they were police searching for a missing child,” Shipman said in a video released Thursday night. “Security cameras captured agents in a hallway showing pictures of the alleged missing child.”
In their petition, attorneys for Aghayeva said she had entered the country on a visa in or around 2016.
A spokesperson for DHS, Tricia McLaughlin, said Aghayeva had been placed in removal proceedings and “released while she waits for her hearing.”
She disputed allegations that agents had posed as New York City police officers but didn’t respond to questions about whether they had claimed to be seeking a missing child.
Mamdani’s intervention
In a social media post Thursday afternoon, Mamdani said he expressed concerns about the arrest during an unrelated meeting with Trump, who then agreed to release her immediately.
On Thursday, while pitching Trump on a massive housing project, Mamdani also called on the president to drop cases against several other current and former students facing deportation for their roles in protests against Israel.
Federal agents not allowed in University without subpoena
In an email to the Columbia community, Claire Shipman said that residential staff had been reminded not to allow federal law enforcement into university buildings without a subpoena or warrant.
“If you encounter or observe DHS/ICE agents conducting enforcement activities on or near campus, immediately contact Public Safety,” the acting president wrote.
“Do not allow them to enter non-public areas or accept service of a warrant or subpoena.”
