Topline
A Columbia University student was detained early Thursday morning after federal agents lied to gain entry into a residential building, campus officials said.
A Columbia University student was detained in her residential building early Thursday morning, campus officials said.
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Key Facts
Claire Shipman, the acting president of the New York City university, said agents with the Department of Homeland Security entered the building around 6:30 a.m. when they misrepresented themselves under the guise of searching for a “missing person.”
The student detained was identified by The New York Times and the university’s student newspaper, the Columbia Spectator, as Ellie Aghayeva, a senior who is attending the school on an international visa.
Aghayeva, who boasts more than 100,000 followers on both TikTok and Instagram, posted on her Instagram story early Thursday, “DHS illegally arrested me. Please help.”
Forbes has reached out to DHS for a statement.
Shipman wrote in her letter to the campus community that law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or subpoena—not merely an administrative warrant—to access non-public areas of the university.
Crucial Quote
“ICE has no place in our schools and universities. These activities do not make our city or country safer, but rather drive mistrust and danger,” New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin said in a joint statement with the council’s majority leader, Shaun Abreu, both Democrats. “As Columbia College alumni, our hearts are with the community there, and we have been in contact with the University to offer our assistance.”
Who Is Ellie Aghayeva?
Aghayeva is a senior with a double major in neuroscience and political science, according to the Times, and often detailed her study routine and provided tips for fellow students on her social media platforms. The City, a New York publication that obtained Aghayeva’s petition asking for her release, said the student is from Azerbaijan and arrived in the United States in 2016. School of general studies dean Lisa Rosen-Mestch said in a letter to students the school is “working in collaboration with University administration” to support Aghayeva and her family, according to the Columbia Spectator.
Classmate Describes Aghayeva As An ‘extremely Dedicated Student’
David Orozco, a Columbia student set to graduate in May, told Forbes he has had multiple classes with Aghayeva and said he often talks and hangs out with her afterward. He said in a phone interview Aghayeva is an “extremely dedicated student” whose social media presence is “pretty real to how she is in person.” Orozco said he is “just confused why they have arrested her all of people,” adding that Aghayeva is not a political person and has not posted on her social media platforms anything against President Donald Trump or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Key Background
The detainment comes amid heightened scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement on college campuses following the high-profile detainment of Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil in 2024. Khalil was arrested in what his attorneys called an aggressive and legally questionable operation, one that drew national attention and sparked student-led protests. Khalil, a Palestinian refugee, was later freed from immigration detention after more than three months. The Times said Khalil is still fighting deportation.
What To Watch For
According to a post on the Columbia University subreddit, an “emergency rally” was scheduled for 12 p.m. Thursday at the campus to protest Aghayeva’s arrest.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikestunson/2026/02/26/columbia-says-federal-agents-lied-about-motives-to-detain-student/
