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Columbia University student says she has been released after being detained by DHS agents
Federal agents used a missing person claim to enter Columbia dorm and detain student Ellie Aghayeva, who was released hours later after legal and political intervention.
- On Thursday, a Columbia University student, Ellie Aghayeva, was detained inside a Morningside Heights campus residence by DHS agents and released hours later after Mayor Zohran Mamdani's meeting with President Donald Trump.
- Columbia says federal agents claimed to search for a missing person, but DHS spokespersons say agents identified themselves and were let in by building occupants.
- Her social media posts showed Ellie Aghayeva, a Columbia senior, posted 'Dhs illegally arrested me' and later said she was released shortly before 4 p.m.
- Campus protesters and elected officials reacted as Columbia University residential staff barred law enforcement from nonpublic areas without safety agents, while Mamdani’s spokesperson Joe Calvello said four additional New York students in ICE detention were submitted for dismissal.
- The episode echoes earlier Columbia detentions, including Mahmoud Khalil's March 2025 arrest, as immigration attorneys link deceptive tactics to the Trump administration's campus enforcement shift.
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Columbia says ICE agents used false pretenses to enter a university residence and detain a student. Here’s what we know
Ellie Aghayeva had documented an intensive, 10-hour study session in the Columbia University library Wednesday night, sharing with her sizeable social media following how she prepares for an exam and conducts research.
·Atlanta, United States
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Trump Administration and Control; ICE at Columbia; 10-Question Quiz: Broadcast Media History; Public Song Project 2026; Finding Your Style
Agents had returned to Elmina Aghayeva, enrolled at Columbia University, early Thursday morning, pretending to be looking for a "missing child".
·Paris, France
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources104
Leaning Left24Leaning Right12Center45Last UpdatedBias Distribution55% Center
Bias Distribution
- 55% of the sources are Center
55% Center
L 30%
C 55%
15%
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