A Columbia University student was detained Thursday by federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security after officers entered a university dorm building.
Acting Columbia President Claire Shipman said in a message to the campus community that the agents entered the building around 6:30 a.m. and took a student, whom DHS identified as Elmina Aghayeva, into custody after making “misrepresentations” to gain access to the facility.
“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,” DHS said. “The building manager and her roommate let officers into the apartment. She has no pending appeals or applications with DHS.”
Aghayeva reportedly posted on social media claiming that DHS had “illegally arrested” her. The university has not confirmed the identity of the student, though School of General Studies Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch wrote that “our Columbia GS student, Ellie,” was detained in a Thursday morning email to the general studies community.
Shipman said the agents told campus personnel they were searching for a “missing person,” a claim she later said was used to enter nonpublic university housing areas.
“We are working to gather more information, working to reach the family, and providing legal support,” Shipman said in the email.
Shipman reiterated in the statement that federal law enforcement officers are required to present a judicial warrant to enter restricted campus spaces, adding that administrative warrants are also insufficient for access.
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin said she was in communication with the university regarding the incident and condemned the DHS action.
“ICE has no place in our schools and universities,” Menin said on X. “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.”
The incident quickly drew attention on campus, where immigration enforcement actions had become a source of tension.
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Columbia has been a focal point of political and legal disputes tied to immigration enforcement and student activism following widespread protests related to the war in Gaza that began in 2023.
In 2025, federal immigration agents detained multiple Columbia-affiliated students involved in pro-Palestinian activism, including graduate student Mahmoud Khali. Outrage over his arrest later prompted a federal judge to block his deportation.
