Federal immigration agents arrived at Columbia University on Thursday morning. They took a student from her on-campus housing, and stories about the arrest are coming from both the school and DHS.
Ellie Aghayeva, a senior, took to social media and claimed that immigration agents “illegally arrested” her from school housing around 6:30 a.m. Thursday. DHS claimed that her student visa had expired in 2016 due to “failing to attend classes.”
Aghayeva, an international student from Azerbaijan studying neuroscience, posted an Instagram Story Thursday morning, suggesting she had been detained. “Dhs illegally arrested me. Please help,” she wrote over an Instagram Story photo.
Acting President Claire Shipman wrote in a message to the Columbia community that immigration agents entered a student’s housing and claimed they were searching for a missing person. Shipman didn’t identify the student.
“The building manager and her roommate let officers into the apartment,” DHS claimed in a statement, refuting claims that immigration agents lied about a missing person in order to get into the apartment.
The Columbia Spectator, Columbia’s student newspaper, identified the student as Aghayeva and claimed that she was arrested in a school-owned apartment. The Spectator claimed that Aghayeva is an international student and has a visa.
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal claimed on X that immigration agents “used a phony missing persons bulletin for a 5 year old girl” in order to get into the apartment where Aghayeva was staying.
Shipman states that Columbia is “working to gather more details” about the situation. Columbia later announced that it was establishing a policy requiring any federal agent to present a judicial subpoena or warrant to enter any area not open to the public. Administrative warrants would no longer be acceptable.
The City, a New York-based news outlet, reports that Aghayeva has filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court to obtain her release.
The detention occurred the day after an “ICE Off Campus” protest at Columbia University to urge the university to strengthen the protection of international students and to declare itself a sanctuary campus. It is unknown if Aghayeva participated in the protest or other activities at the university.
Aghayeva is also an Instagram and TikTok influencer with over 100,000 followers. She posts about topics such as neuroscience, productivity tips, and student life in New York City. In one video posted in August, she is filmed studying in one of the library’s study rooms at Columbia University. She says to the camera, “Studying is hard, but my parents sacrificed everything across the ocean for me to be here. They deserve a successful daughter.”
This is the second time in the last year that Columbia University has detained an international student. Mahmoud Khalil, an Algerian-Palestinian grad student and legal permanent resident, was detained in university housing in March 2025. He was later released but continues to fight deportation.
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Shaun Abreu have jointly made the following statement regarding the arrest of Aghayeva:
“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.”
According to DHS, the reason for Aghayeva’s detention is her immigration status. DHS claims that Aghayeva’s student visa expired almost a decade ago, but has not provided immediate evidence of her enrollment records.
Her exact whereabouts and status had not been publicly confirmed by Thursday evening.
