New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani Meets Trump At White House In ‘Productive Meeting,’ Says Columbia University Student Detained By ICE Will Be Released Soon

On Thursday, the New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had his second in person discussion with the US President Donald Trump at the White House, the first time they had a face-to-face conversation since Mamdani assumed office this year. The event, that was termed by Mamdani as successful, took place with negotiations on the development of New York City housing and other urgent urban issues. Although belonging to different political sides, Mamdani is a Democratic mayor, and Trump is a Republican president, the two officials have managed to have a surprisingly open line of communication ever since the first visit to the White House, when Mamdani was elected. Their constant activity is a reflection of a strange state of cooperation between the national and the city leaders.

What Did Zohran Mamdani-Donald Trump Discuss About?

Besides housing, immigration enforcement also made it to their agenda when Mamdani raised an issue regarding the detention of a Columbia University student by federal agents. The student, who was detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier that morning in a controversial situation, was promised to be freed by Trump, who said this would happen in the nearest future. This reassurance came after Mamdani met the president in person and he highlighted that he had expressed his concern to the president over the phone.
The current state underscores the strains between local authorities and federal immigration efforts with Mamdani attracting the attention of critics to controversial detention strategies in college campuses.

I had a productive meeting with President Trump this afternoon.

I’m looking forward to building more housing in New York City. pic.twitter.com/XnPbt0KXYU

— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) February 26, 2026

Just got off the phone with President Trump.

In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elmina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning.

He has just informed me that she will be released imminently.

— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) February 26, 2026

The action of the mayor and his face-to-face conversation with Trump highlighted his attempts to represent New York residents and students being impacted by federal policies. Although the city leadership and the federal government have more significant political differences that do not seem to ease, the meeting on Thursday depicted an exceptional state where the two sides unanimously agreed on a few issues and demonstrated how the top tier conversations can directly translate into individual cases and the priorities of the policies.

Also Read: Who Is Ellie Aghayeva? Columbia University Student ‘Illegally’ Arrested By ICE After Agents Allegedly Gained Dorm Access Under False Pretenses

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