Well, this is picking up a lot of media traction very quickly. Current Columbia president Claire Shipman sent an email out to campus saying DHS had detained a student inside a Columbia dormitory. Here's what Shipman wrote:
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. We are working to gather more information, working to reach the family, and providing legal support.
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.
It is important to reiterate that all law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, including housing, classrooms, and areas requiring CUID swipe access. An administrative warrant is not sufficient.
If law enforcement agents seek entry to non-public areas of the University, ask the agents to wait to enter any non-public areas until contacting Public Safety. Public Safety will contact the Office of the General Counsel to coordinate the University’s response. Do not allow them to enter or accept service of a warrant or subpoena.
Shipman didn't identify the student but she was quickly identified as Elmina “Ellie” Aghayeva a student double-majoring in neuroscience and political science. She sent messages out using her social media accounts as she was arrested.
Aghayeva, who originally is from Azerbaijan, posted in a Thursday morning Instagram story, “Dhs illegally arrested me. Please help.”
In messages obtained by Spectator, Aghayeva texted a group chat of fellow Columbia seniors at 6:26 a.m., writing, “Ice is in my house.”
“They are trying to take me away,” Aghayeva wrote. “Can someone help me.”
The Instagram video was only 1 second long. It was basically just an image of her sitting in the back of a car.
ICE abducted Columbia Student Ellie Aghayeva from her Columbia apartment this morning at 6:30am. They were admitted entrance by public safety who were apparently deceived into letting them in. She posted this image from the car after being taken. She must be released. pic.twitter.com/sqSTJxinCA
— Eli Northrup (@EliNorthrup) February 26, 2026
Her Instagram account has over 100,000 followers. She occasionally posted videos of herself studying at Columbia. Some videos offered tips and some were just brief music videos meant for inspiration.
So there are various stories circulating about how DHS entered the building. President Shipman claimed they misrepresented themselves but didn't specify how. A Manhattan Borough President tweeted from his personal account that DHS had used fake badges to get into the building.
A short time after Columbia’s statement, the Manhattan borough president, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, wrote in a social media post that “ICE agents impersonated NYPD with fake badges and a phony missing persons bulletin for a 5 year old girl”, referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
“They purposefully deceived campus housing/security to gain entry to the student’s apartment,” he added. “The level of civil rights violations that took place is staggering.”
He later revised that claim to say they had a fake missing person's bulletin but that the fake badges part was "unconfirmed." Here's the revised tweet:
UPDATE: ICE used a phony missing persons bulletin for a 5 year old girl. It is unconfirmed at this time whether they impersonated an officer to do so.
— Brad Hoylman-Sigal 🌈🥯 (@bradhoylman) February 26, 2026
They purposefully deceived campus housing/security to gain entry to the student’s apartment.
The level of civil rights… https://t.co/xxAt7kwSOY
In any case, Gov. Hochul is repeating the claim that ICE lied to gain entry.
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.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) February 26, 2026
I’ve proposed a bill that would ban ICE from entering sensitive locations like schools and dorms. Let’s get it passed now. https://t.co/oeUykQ8iWl
As for why this person was detained in the first place, DHS gave a statement saying her Visa had expired.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the parent agency of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), confirmed the student’s identity but appeared to suggest she was no longer a student.
“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 spokesperson wrote in a statement. “The building manager and her roommate let officers into the apartment. She has no pending appeals or applications with DHS.”
That's a bit misleading as written. It seems to me ICE isn't claiming she was no longer a student. They are claiming her student VISA expired a decade ago.
Students at Columbia are already out protesting. This definitely feels like something that is going to generate a lot of attention.
🚨🇺🇸 ICE just arrested someone on Columbia's campus. Students are already outside protesting.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 26, 2026
Columbia. The same campus that shut down over Gaza last year.
The same campus where the president was forced to resign.
They do not do quiet there.pic.twitter.com/8MzmhcM6hU
