Rabat – A Columbia University student was released from federal custody after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who allegedly posed as local police officers to gain access to a student residence at Columbia University.
According to New York City officials, the agents wore “fake badges” and misrepresented themselves as members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) to enter university housing. The student, Elmina Aghayena, was taken into custody early Thursday morning.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Aghayeva was later released following his personal appeal to President Donald Trump.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied allegations that agents impersonated NYPD officers, saying in a statement that Homeland Security Investigators “verbally identified themselves and visibly wore badges around their necks.”
Columbia University President Claire Shipman said the arrest occurred at a university-owned residence and raised concerns about how agents gained access to the building.
While the university did not initially identify the student, DHS later confirmed that Aghayeva was the individual targeted in the raid. DHS said in a statement that ICE arrested Aghayeva, claiming her student visa was terminated in 2016 for failing to attend classes.
DHS said agents were allowed into the apartment by the building manager and Aghayeva’s roommate, adding in its statement that the ICE agents did not identify themselves as NYPD officers at any point.
‘In complete shock’
The arrest occurred as Mamdani was visiting the White House for a previously scheduled meeting with President Trump. The major said the two discussed the detention, and afterward Trump informed him that Aghayeva would be released.
Aghayeya confirmed her release in a post on Instagram. “I just got out a little while ago. I am safe and okay; I am in complete shock over what happened,” she wrote.
The arrest sparked outrage among New York officials. Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal accused ICE agents of deliberately deceiving campus staff to gain entry, while Governor Kathy Hochul called for legislation to ban ICE enforcement actions at sensitive locations such as schools and dormitories.
The incident comes amid a broader federal immigration crackdown that has resulted in the detention of multiple university students across the country.
