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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently confirmed to Fox News Digital that a Columbia University student, identified as Elmina Aghayeva, has been detained for being in the United States unlawfully. Aghayeva, originally from Azerbaijan, had her student visa terminated back in 2016 after she failed to attend classes, an action that occurred under the Obama administration.
According to a DHS spokesperson, “ICE arrested Elmina Aghayeva, an illegal alien from Azerbaijan, whose student visa was terminated in 2016. The building manager and her roommate permitted officers to enter the apartment. She has no pending appeals or applications with DHS,” the spokesperson relayed to Fox News Digital.
The incident took place early Thursday morning at a residential building associated with Columbia University in New York City. University officials reported that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entered the premises around 6:30 a.m. local time to detain the student.
This event sparked protests by anti-ICE activists on campus, highlighting the contentious nature of the enforcement actions. Demonstrators gathered at Columbia University, expressing their opposition to the federal agents’ actions.
In response to the incident, Columbia University released a statement raising concerns about the methods used by the federal agents to gain access to the building. “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,” the statement explained. It emphasized the university’s policy that all law enforcement agents must possess a judicial warrant or subpoena to enter non-public university areas, including housing and classrooms, noting that an administrative warrant does not meet this requirement.
The university said law enforcement agents with a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena who are looking to access non-public areas of the university must contact public safety, which will then contact “the Office of the General Counsel to coordinate the university’s response.”
In response to a Fox News inquiry, the Ivy League school said they are increasing Columbia Public Safety presence by deploying additional patrols and staffing throughout our residential buildings, and that residential staff received refreshed guidance on the university’s established protocols for interactions with law enforcement agencies, including those from the DHS and ICE.Â
Columbia instructed staff to ask agents to wait while immediately contacting Columbia Public Safety. Public Safety will then coordinate with the Office of the General Counsel to manage the University’s response.
Many Columbia University buildings do not require a Columbia University ID (CUID) to enter, but in order to access the interior of the buildings, one would need to swipe through turnstiles with an ID.
While Columbia spoke about rules on its campus, DHS said the incident did not take place on campus.Â
An anti-ICE agitator holds a sign during a demonstration at Columbia University. (WNYW)
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Majority Leader Shaun Abreu issued a joint statement condemning the incident. They said the agents’ actions have increased “mistrust and danger” in the city and the country.
“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. As Columbia College alumni, our hearts are with the community there, and we have been in contact with the University to offer our assistance,” the statement read.
Barricades are installed in front of Columbia University after federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security entered a university residential building and detained a student, early Thursday morning, on Feb. 26, 2026. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat who has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s illegal immigration crackdown, held back in her response to the incident when asked about it on Thursday. The governor told reporters that the details of the situation were still “unfolding” and that, if the agents “misrepresented” themselves, that it showed the “out of control” nature of the administration’s crackdown.
“I still have to get the details, this is newly unfolding. I don’t wanna speak outside of turn here, but if that’s the case that just goes to prove our point: this is an organization out of control. They need to be focused, reorganized, retrained. Start over, it’s not working,” she said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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