Federal immigration authorities arrested a Columbia University student early Thursday, triggering protests on campus and allegations that agents gained entry to the university-owned residence by posing as police officers searching for a missing child. Just hours after detaining student Ellie Aghayeva, though, the federal government abruptly reversed course, permitting her to walk free after an apparent intervention by President Trump, the AP reports. In a social media post Thursday afternoon, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he expressed concerns about the arrest during an unrelated meeting with Trump, who then agreed to release her immediately.
"I am safe and okay," Aghayeva wrote on Instagram, minutes after Mamdani's post, adding she was in "complete shock" from the experience. The head-spinning series of events marked the latest consequence of the unlikely relationship between the Republican president and Mamdani, a democratic socialist who Trump once threatened to have deported. 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. (More on Mamdani's visit with Trump here.)
Aghayeva, a senior from Azerbaijan studying neuroscience and politics, hasn't been publicly linked to any of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations that roiled Columbia's campus. 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. Early Thursday, five federal agents gained entry to her apartment at 6am 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. Aghayeva then dashed off a message to her more than 100,000 followers on Instagram: "DHS illegally arrested me. Please help." A photo accompanying the post appeared to show 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. Inquiries to Columbia about her visa status and how long she had been enrolled in the university were not returned. In their petition, attorneys for Aghayeva said she had entered the country on a visa in or around 2016. They declined to provide additional comment, including details about her immigration status. 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.
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