Columbia University student says she has been released after being detained by DHS agents
Columbia University Student Detained by DHS Agents Says She’s Been Released
A Columbia University student detained by immigration officers at her campus residence early Thursday has now been released, according to her own account. Elmina Aghayeva, who is from Azerbaijan, was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security. The agency stated that her student visa was revoked in 2016 “due to nonattendance in classes.”
Entry into Residence Hall Contested
The DHS report noted that the building manager and her roommate permitted the agents to enter the apartment. Aghayeva, however, expressed her experience on Instagram later that day, writing, “I am safe and okay.” She added, “I am in complete shock over what happened.”
University’s Response and Legal Measures
In a letter, Columbia’s acting president, Claire Shipman, recounted that federal agents accessed a residence hall at approximately 6:30 a.m. and detained the student. The administration pledged to reach out to Aghayeva’s family and offer legal assistance. Shipman emphasized that agents required a judicial warrant or subpoena to enter nonpublic areas of the campus. “Students, faculty, and staff should ask officers to wait and contact the university’s public safety office,” she advised. “An administrative warrant alone is insufficient,” she concluded.
“Do not allow them to enter or accept service of a warrant or subpoena,” Shipman urged.
Aghayeva’s legal representative submitted a habeas corpus petition to the Southern District of New York on Thursday, which NBC News acquired. The document asserted that the student had entered the U.S. on a visa in or around 2016 and that no cause for her detention had been specified. The attorney did not respond to inquiries for comment.
Mayor’s Concerns and ICE Procedures
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, currently in Washington, D.C., shared on X that he had discussed the arrest with former President Donald Trump. “He has just informed me that she will be released imminently,” Mamdani noted before Aghayeva announced her release. Aghayeva is an international senior majoring in neuroscience and political science, as confirmed by a statement from her friends through the American Association of University Professors.
Meanwhile, an internal ICE memo from May revealed that agents may enter homes using an administrative warrant if a judge issues a “final order of removal.” This contrasts with prior practices, which required a judicially signed warrant for forced entry. The university also announced additional patrols and planned an educational webinar on immigration policy and legal procedures to address the situation.
Protests and Criticism
Several student organizations, including Columbia Student Apartheid Divest, organized an emergency rally to protest the detention of an undergrad from a Columbia building. The event drew around 100 participants, according to the Columbia Spectator. Gov. Kathy Hochul highlighted the incident, stating that details were still unclear. “If the accusations of false statements are accurate, it underscores that this agency is losing control,” she remarked. Hochul accused ICE agents of lacking proper warrants and using deception to enter the student’s private space.
“They need to be refocused, reorganized, and retrained,” Hochul said. “Because it’s just not working.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., labeled the allegations as “unacceptable” on X, indicating his office was investigating further.