Columbia student freed after NYC mayor Mamdani raises her case with Trump at White House

The undergraduate student was arrested Thursday morning when five federal immigration agents entered a Columbia residential building without a warrant and under false pretenses, the university’s acting President Claire Shipman said.

Mamdani said that he had shared his concerns “about Columbia student Elmina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning” during the unannounced meeting with Trump.

“He has just informed me that she will be released imminently,” he wrote on X.

Aghayeva confirmed her release in a post on Instagram.

“I just got out a little while ago. I am safe and okay,” she wrote.

Mamdani had earlier said he went to Washington to request federal money to help build affordable housing in the Queens borough of New York.

A photo posted on X showed Mamdani standing next to a grinning Trump in the Oval Office.

Shipman, in a video posted on X, said the agents had “gained entry by stating they were police searching for a missing child” to arrest Aghayeva.

“Our security cameras captured the agents in the hallway showing pictures of the alleged missing child,” she said.

“The agents took our student. This was a frightening and fast-moving situation, and utterly unacceptable for our students and staff.”

It was the second White House visit for Mamdani after a meeting in November when the erstwhile political foes emerged as effusive colleagues bent on mutual support.

Washington watchers had been bracing for sparks to fly when the self-described Democratic socialist met the Republican leader, who had suggested the Ugandan-born New Yorker should be deported.

Trump vowed after that meeting that his administration would work with Mamdani to improve life for residents of the U.S. financial capital.

“We’re going to be helping him to make everybody’s dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York,” Trump said at the time.