Mamdani wrote on X about Columbia University student Elaina Aghayeva, who he said was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier in the day.<\/p>\n
“Just got off the phone with President Trump,” he wrote. “In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elaina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning. He just informed me that she will be released imminently.”<\/p>\n
The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital that agents detained Aghayeva, who it said was in the country illegally.<\/p>\n
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani meets with President Trump at the White House, Thursday. (Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani via X)<\/p>\n
“ICE arrested Elmina Aghayeva, an illegal alien from Azerbaijan, whose student visa was terminated in 2016 under the Obama administration for failing to attend classes,” a DHS spokesperson said. “The building manager and her roommate let officers into the apartment. She has no pending appeals or applications with DHS.”<\/p>\n
Columbia University said Thursday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered a residential building at approximately 6:30 a.m. local time and detained a student.<\/p>\n
“Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a \u2018missing person.\u2019 We are working to gather more details,” the university said in a statement. “It is important to reiterate that all law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, including housing, classrooms, and areas requiring CUID swipe access. An administrative warrant is not sufficient.”<\/p>\n
The mayor met with Trump at the White House earlier Thursday for a previously unscheduled visit, where the two were expected to discuss immigration and housing issues affecting New York City, according to the New York Post.<\/p>\n
NYPD RELEASES PHOTOS OF SNOWBALL-WIELDING SUSPECTS WITH FACIAL HAIR AFTER MAMDANI CLAIMS ATTACKERS WERE ‘KIDS’<\/a><\/p>\n New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a news conference in Morningside Heights in New York City, Wednesday. (Yuki Iwamura\/AP Photo)<\/p>\n Mamdani last<\/a> visited Trump in the White House in November 2025, shortly after he won the mayoral election.<\/p>\n The pair shocked both sides of the aisle with their cordial demeanor during the meeting, with Trump downplaying Mamdani’s previous attacks on the president.<\/p>\n “We have one thing in common,” Trump said at the time. “We want this city of ours that we love to do very well. And I wanted to congratulate the mayor. He really ran an incredible race against, you know, a lot of smart people, starting with the early primaries against some very tough people, very smart people. And he beat them, and he beat them easily.<\/p>\n “I congratulated him, and we talked about some things in very strong common, like housing<\/a> and getting housing built and food and prices.”<\/p>\n Ahead of the meeting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Mamdani a “communist” while remarking that Trump’s doors are open to any U.S. leader no matter the political party.<\/p>\n MAMDANI CALLS ON DA TO NOT PROSECUTE MENTALLY ILL MAN SHOT BY POLICE DURING KNIFE ATTACK<\/a><\/p>\n President Donald Trump and Mayor-Elect of New York City Zohran Mamdani during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 21, 2025.\u00a0 (Demetrius Freeman\/The Washington Post via Getty Images)<\/p>\n Trump remained seated during his press event in the Oval Office after their meeting, while Mamdani stood<\/a> by his side and fielded a handful of questions. The pair shared a hopeful outlook for the future, with Trump arguing that, despite their political differences, they will work together and also share a handful of priorities, namely affordability and lowering the cost of living for Americans.\u00a0<\/p>\n The president predicted Mamdani “is going to surprise some conservative people, actually, and some very liberal people.”<\/p>\n Reporters at the time pressed Mamdani about whether he still believed Trump was a fascist.<\/p>\n “I’ve spoken about \u2026” Mamdani began to answer before Trump said, “That’s OK. You can just say yes.”<\/p>\n “OK, all right,” Mamdani continued.<\/p>\n![\"Zohran](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/snow-storm-new-york-city-mayor-zohran-mamdani.jpg\")
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