DHS Agents Detain Student in Residence Building, Columbia Says

Federal agents detained a Columbia University student in her university residence on Thursday morning, according to a statement from school leadership.

In a letter to the school community, Columbia University acting president Claire Shipman said government agents provided false details in order to gain access to a university residential building where the student was detained. She did not identify the student in question or the reason given for their detention, but the Columbia Spectator reports that Ellie Aghayeva, a neuroscience student at the university, shared the message, “Dhs illegally arrested me. Please help,” on an Instagram Story. Aghayeva’s profile on the platform, which has 104,000 followers, largely features lifestyle content centered around her life as a Columbia student.

“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,” Shipman said in a statement. “We are working to gather more information, working to reach the family, and providing legal support.”

Continued Shipman, “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.”

Shipman reemphasized that law-enforcement agents are required to have either a judicial warrant or subpoena to access nonpublic spaces on Columbia’s campus including classrooms, housing, and areas that require ID-swipe access. “An administrative warrant is not sufficient,” she said.

In response to a request for comment, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement confirming Aghayeva’s arrest. “ICE arrested Elmina Aghayeva, 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. She has no pending appeals or applications with DHS,” the agency said.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Councilmember Shaun Abreu, whose district encompasses Columbia, issued a joint statement confirming that they were briefed on the incident. “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. As Columbia College alumni, our hearts are with the community there, and we have been in contact with the University to offer our assistance,” they said.

Governor Kathy Hochul also weighed in, reemphasizing her push for legislation that would bar ICE from sensitive locations like dorms and schools. “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,” she said.

Senator Chuck Schumer called the ICE agents’s actions “outrageous” in a statement. “This is unacceptable. We need immediate answers from ICE on the student’s whereabouts,” he said.

The Columbia Spectator reports that dozens have gathered on Columbia’s campus for an emergency rally protesting the government’s actions, organized by the university’s chapter of the Sunrise Movement. The Intercept captured photos of the growing crowd:

Last year, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Columbia graduate and activist Mahmoud Khalil at his university-owned apartment on allegations that he provided misleading information on his green-card application. Khalil was later held for months at an ICE detention center in Louisiana and missed the birth of his firstborn son as the Trump administration sought his deportation. A federal judge approved Khalil’s release, but the federal government continues to press for his deportation.