Elmina Aghayeva Released After ICE Detention, Mayor Mamdani Says Trump Intervened
elmina aghayeva, a Columbia University student from Azerbaijan, was detained by federal immigration agents early Thursday and walked free hours later after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he raised her case in an unannounced meeting with President Donald Trump.
Quick release after a rare presidential intervention
Mamdani wrote on social media that he expressed concerns about the arrest during an unrelated meeting with Trump, and that the president then agreed to release her immediately; another post said Trump informed the mayor she would be released "imminently. " Minutes after Mamdani’s message, Aghayeva posted on Instagram that she was "safe and okay" and later wrote "I just got out a little while ago" and that she was in an Uber on the way home.
How agents entered and what Columbia officials say
Columbia’s acting president, Claire Shipman, said in a video that shortly after 6 a. m. five federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security entered an off-campus Columbia residential building without a warrant. Shipman said the agents gained entry by saying they were police searching for a missing child, went to the apartment of the targeted student with that story, and that security cameras captured the agents in the hallway showing pictures of the alleged missing child. A public safety officer repeatedly asked for a search warrant and whether he could call his supervisor; Shipman said the agents declined and Aghayeva was taken.
Conflicting descriptions of the entry and agency statements
A petition from Aghayeva’s lawyers and a Columbia statement said federal agents gained entry by claiming they were searching for a missing person; a DHS spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, denied allegations that agents had posed as New York City police officers and did not answer questions about whether they had claimed to be seeking a missing person. In a separate DHS statement, Homeland Security Investigations said its agents verbally identified themselves and visibly wore badges around their necks and that they did not and would not identify as NYPD.
What the Department of Homeland Security said about status and arrest
DHS confirmed the student’s identity and said ICE arrested Elmina Aghayeva, calling her an "illegal alien from Azerbaijan" whose student visa was terminated in 2016 under the Obama administration for failing to attend classes. the building manager and her roommate let officers into the apartment and that she has no pending appeals or applications with DHS. Attorneys for Aghayeva said she entered the country on a visa in or around 2016 but declined further comment on her immigration status.
Who Aghayeva is and campus reaction
Officials and friends said Aghayeva is a senior from Azerbaijan studying neuroscience and politics and that she is a self-described content creator who shares day-in-the-life videos and college tips; one post showed her legs in the backseat of a vehicle and she has more than 100, 000 Instagram followers. Shipman said the episode was "a frightening and fast-moving situation and utterly unacceptable for our students and staff, " and the arrest triggered protests on campus amid allegations that agents entered a university-owned residence under false pretenses. Columbia has said it has never provided DHS or ICE assistance in arresting or taking its students.
Broader enforcement practices flagged and administration context
News coverage noted that the use of disguises or other misrepresentations by immigration authorities has drawn attention after agents were seen posing as utility workers and other service employees in other cities. The practice is legal in most cases, but immigration attorneys say such ruses are becoming increasingly common. In recent weeks, President Trump has intensified criticism of several universities, including Harvard and UCLA, and some observers said the arrest appeared to be the first federal enforcement action at Columbia since the university agreed to pay more than $220 million to the administration over the summer.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist mayor whom Trump once threatened to have deported, was in the White House meeting to pitch a massive housing project and also urged the president to drop cases against several current and former students facing deportation for their roles in protests related to Israel.
After her release, Aghayeva wrote that she was "in complete shock" and said she was being inundated with calls from reporters and needed time to process what happened. Inquiries to Columbia about her visa status and how long she had been enrolled were not returned.
The next confirmed development is the university and federal agencies continuing to address the aftermath: Columbia has issued statements and legal filings have been cited by Aghayeva’s attorneys; unclear in the provided context is whether any formal internal or federal review has been opened.
