A day after a Columbia University student was detained and then abruptly released by federal immigration authorities, other students and local residents expressed disbelief about the incident. 

What You Need To Know

A day after a Columbia University student was detained and then abruptly released by federal immigration authorities, other students and local residents expressed disbelief about the incident

In a video message, Columbia University’s acting president, Claire Shipman, said five ICE agents gained entry to Aghayeva’s off-campus dormitory shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday without a warrant by posing as police searching for a missing child

According to university protocol, ICE agents must have a judicial warrant or subpoena to access nonpublic areas, but they don’t need a warrant to access areas open to the general public on or near campus

Ellie Aghayeva was taken and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Thursday morning before being released hours later.

In a video message, Columbia University’s acting president, Claire Shipman, said five ICE agents gained entry to Aghayeva’s off-campus dormitory shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday without a warrant by posing as police searching for a missing child. 

According to Shipman, the agents bypassed a public safety officer who asked for a warrant.

“I just think it’s really incredible that people can just get snatched from their homes,” student Miriam Trujillo said Friday. “And the message that we received from the school was that they used a missing persons flyer to get access into the dorm.”

Trujillo told NY1 she feels the university should do more to ensure this never happens again. 

“So maybe having a little bit more of training for these public safety officers would be something definitely very helpful,” Trujillo said.

According to university protocol, ICE agents must have a judicial warrant or subpoena to access nonpublic areas, but they don’t need a warrant to access areas open to the general public on or near campus. 

But longtime neighborhood residents told NY1 they’re unnerved by the ordeal, despite the outcome.

“Horrible. Shouldn’t have happened. We can’t live like this,” Leonardo Rodriguez said.

“I don’t understand why they would try to pick her up, anyway. I don’t think she was doing any mischief. So I think that it was really the wrong thing. And it still makes me kind of rattled,” Lisa Schaffner added.

The university told NY1 that it would not comment beyond the video message put out by the acting president. 

In the video, Shipman also said that the ICE agents’ misrepresentation of their identity was a breach of protocol, and that all law enforcement agents have an obligation to follow legal and ethical standards.