Columbia Student Detained By ICE Will Be Released After Mamdani Meeting With Trump

Columbia University student Elmina Aghayeva has been released from ICE detention after NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani personally asked President Trump to intervene.

Elmina, 26, was described by the Department of Homeland Security as an “illegal alien” from Azerbaijan, whose student visa was terminated in 2016 after she failed to attend classes.

Despite this, she is currently a senior at Columbia University majoring in neuroscience and political science.

It’s unlike Trump to make any exceptions in a situation like this – I wonder what changed his mind?

In all seriousness, one issue seems to be that ICE “misrepresented” themselves when entering Elmina’s dorm on campus at Columbia University. Agents reportedly posed as NYPD officers looking for a missing 5-year-old to gain entry without a warrant, and then arrested Elmina and hauled her off to detention.

Obviously this is completely outrageous and caused an outcry locally and on social media.

Elmina, who has 100k+ followers on Instagram, sent this out at the time:

And following her release:

The man who made it all happen:

It’s important to note that Trump ordered her release from custody, not the dismissal of her case. Elmina has not been granted legal residency and must still face immigration court.

A case of pretty privilege or has Elmina somehow actually been in the US legally this whole time? We’ll have to wait and see how it pans out.

For the ICE agent who asked a trans woman ‘are you a man?’ and got called the N-word in return, click HERE. No winners there.