The university says officers used a “missing person” claim to gain access to nonpublic housing areas.
NEW YORK, NY — Federal agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security entered a Columbia University residential building early Thursday and detained a student after, university leaders said, the agents used misrepresentations to get inside the dorm.
The detention immediately drew condemnation from New York elected officials and renewed concerns on campus about immigration enforcement in university housing. Columbia’s acting president, Claire Shipman, said the student’s family was being contacted and legal support was being arranged as the school sought more details about the operation and why the student was taken.
In a message sent to the Columbia community, Shipman said the agents arrived at about 6:30 a.m. and told building staff they were looking for a “missing person.” The university said that explanation did not match what later happened inside the residence. Shipman said the school was still gathering facts and had not released the student’s name. By late Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security had not provided a public account of the circumstances beyond statements shared with some news outlets.
The episode unfolded in a section of campus housing that Columbia treats as a nonpublic area, similar to classrooms and spaces that require a university identification swipe to enter. Shipman reiterated that law enforcement officers must present a judicial warrant or a judicial subpoena to access those areas, and that an administrative warrant is not sufficient under the university’s rules. The guidance, she said, is for staff and residents to contact Public Safety so the Office of the General Counsel can coordinate the response before anyone is allowed into restricted spaces.
Gov. Kathy Hochul criticized the operation in a public post, saying immigration agents did not have the proper warrant and used a false story to gain access to a private residence. Her comments came as campus leaders and civil liberties advocates pressed for details about what the agents showed at the door, who approved entry, and whether university policies were followed in the moment. Columbia did not immediately release a timeline of who interacted with the agents before they entered the building.
Several outlets identified the student as Elmina Aghayeva, describing her as an undergraduate originally from Azerbaijan. Columbia did not confirm that identity in its initial statement. The Department of Homeland Security, in a statement carried by some news organizations, said Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Aghayeva and claimed her student visa had been terminated years earlier for failing to attend classes. Supporters and friends described her as enrolled and nearing the end of her studies. Those competing claims, including whether she was in valid student status at the time of the detention, remained central questions as the day progressed.
Authorities also faced questions about the tactics used to enter the residence. Columbia said the agents made misrepresentations about their purpose, while some campus and local officials said officers appeared to present themselves in a way that suggested local police involvement. The New York Police Department said it was not involved in the federal operation. Campus officials did not say whether the agents showed identification at the door, whether they presented any paperwork, or whether they sought access to a specific apartment or room rather than common areas.
The detention carried weight because arrests inside campus housing are uncommon and because Columbia has been a flashpoint for debates over protest, speech, and immigration enforcement. Even in periods of stepped-up federal immigration actions, detentions in dormitories are rare, legal experts say, and universities often have detailed protocols for responding to law enforcement requests. Columbia’s statement underscored that the school expects officers to wait while Public Safety and university counsel review requests for entry and verify warrants or subpoenas.
In the past year, Columbia has faced intense scrutiny after high-profile enforcement actions tied to campus activism and demonstrations. Federal agents previously detained at least one prominent activist connected to pro-Palestinian campus protests, and that case sparked days of demonstrations and legal filings. Those earlier events helped shape a heightened sense of vulnerability among international students and other noncitizens on campus, as well as pressure on administrators to clarify how the university will respond if federal agents seek access to dormitories again.
Thursday’s detention also prompted sharp criticism of the decision-making at the building level. Some local officials and advocates said any officer seeking entry should be thoroughly vetted, and they argued that allowing entry based on a “missing person” claim without immediate verification risked violating student privacy and due process. Columbia’s public guidance emphasized that staff should not accept service of documents or grant access in restricted areas without first contacting Public Safety, a protocol the university highlighted as a safeguard for residents.
What happens next depends on where the student is being held and what legal process federal authorities plan to pursue. If immigration proceedings are initiated, the case could move quickly through the immigration court system, with early hearings often focused on custody and eligibility for release. Attorneys can also challenge the detention in federal court in some circumstances, including through petitions that contest the legality of the arrest or the government’s authority to detain a person with certain types of lawful status. Columbia said it was providing legal support while it worked to gather more information and reach the student’s family.
By Thursday afternoon, students and faculty members gathered near campus gates and along sidewalks close to university buildings, chanting and holding signs calling for the student’s release and for greater protections against enforcement actions in dorms. Some described a tense morning as messages circulated about agents inside housing and uncertainty about who had been detained. Others said the episode deepened fears among international students who live in university residences and rely on campus systems for safety and stability.
The university said it would update the campus community as additional information became available. Elected officials said they wanted answers about the agents’ authority to enter the building and whether deception was used to bypass warrant requirements. As of Thursday evening, Columbia had not publicly described any planned briefing, and federal officials had not announced charges or a public timetable for immigration proceedings.
Author note: Last updated February 26, 2026.