A student from Azerbaijan detained by U.S. immigration agents inside a Columbia University residential building on Thursday morning, was released later the same day after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani raised her case directly with President Donald Trump.
Elmina Aghayeva was taken into custody at around 6:30 a.m. from a university-owned residential building by agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Columbia Acting President Claire Shipman said in an email to the campus community.
Shipman said federal agents entered the building after stating they were searching for a “missing person”, a claim the university described as a misrepresentation used to gain access to non-public campus housing. Columbia reiterated that law enforcement officers must present a judicial warrant or subpoena to enter restricted areas, adding that administrative warrants are not sufficient for access to university residences or other non-public spaces.
DHS confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had arrested Aghayeva, identifying her as a citizen of Azerbaijan whose student visa had been terminated in 2016. A DHS official said she had no pending appeals or applications with the department and stated that officers were allowed into the apartment by the building manager and a roommate.
Columbia has not commented on the department’s claims regarding her immigration status.
The arrest sparked protests on campus later in the day, with students chanting against immigration enforcement presence at the university and calling on administrators to strengthen protections for non-citizen students.
“We’re calling for the university to take appropriate actions regarding their tolerance and treatment of federal law enforcement officials,” one student said. Another described Columbia as a place that “should be safe for all students and workers.”
Frankie Tavares, a member of the Student Workers of Columbia bargaining committee, said the union was pushing for stronger safeguards for non-citizen student workers, including sanctuary campus policies.
“We have to do this because Columbia will not defend its own students and student workers. We have to keep us safe,” Tavares said.
Aghayeva, who has a substantial social media presence with more than 113,000 followers on TikTok and 107,000 on Instagram, later posted an Instagram story confirming her release.
“Hi guys. I am so grateful for every one of you. I just got out a little while ago. I am safe and okay. In an Uber on the way back home. I am so sorry but I am in complete shock over what happened and my phone is blowing up with calls from reporters. I need a bit of time to process everything. I will come back soon but please don't worry,” she wrote.
Later on Thursday, Mayor Mamdani said he discussed Aghayeva’s detention during a previously scheduled meeting with President Trump at the White House and subsequently followed up by phone. In a social media post, the mayor said Trump told him that Aghayeva would be "released imminently”.
Trump did not comment publicly on the case. Elmina Aghayeva was released later that day, according to the mayor.
The episode has drawn renewed attention to immigration enforcement on university campuses and the limits of federal authority to enter student housing. Columbia said it is continuing to review the circumstances surrounding the detention and will provide updates as further information becomes available.
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The first-ever “WUF13 NGO Forum” in the history of the World Urban Forum (WUF) was held on 19 May 2026 at Azerbaijan’s initiative in Baku.
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance’s south-eastern flank, German officials have said.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for closer security coordination between Central Asia and China, warning that expanding trade and infrastructure links are exposing the region to increasingly sophisticated cross-border threats.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack on Iran after appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, allowing negotiations to continue over a possible deal to end the conflict.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou to evacuate as rescue efforts continued.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have agreed to resume daily passenger train services on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route from 26 May, 2026, marking a major step in restoring regional rail connectivity after services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance’s south-eastern flank, German officials have said.
Estonia said on Tuesday (19 May) that a NATO fighter jet shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over its territory, in the latest reported airspace violation in the region amid ongoing Ukrainian strikes against Russia.
Sweden has agreed to buy four naval frigates from France’s Naval Group in a deal worth more than $4 billion, as Stockholm moves to strengthen its defence capabilities in the Baltic Sea, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday.
Spanish police said on Tuesday they had detained a 25-year-old man suspected of killing his two parents and injuring four other people, including his son, in a shooting in the southern city of El Ejido in Almeria province overnight.
European Union negotiators are expected to agree on Tuesday (19 May) on legislation removing import duties on U.S. industrial goods, in a move aimed at implementing last year’s trade agreement with the United States and avoiding higher tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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