President Donald Trump has agreed to release Elaina Aghayeva, a student from Columbia University who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as announced by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday. This decision came after an unannounced meeting between President Trump and Mayor Mamdani at the White House, which was not included on the President's public schedule.
The Azerbaijani student, Aghayeva, was taken into custody by ICE officers early in the morning from a residential building, according to school officials. Aghayeva managed to post on Instagram from the back of a vehicle, claiming, "DHS illegally arrested me. Please help," which quickly gathered attention from her more than 100,000 followers.
Mayor Mamdani took to social media platform X to announce the outcome of his engagement with the President, stating, "Just got off the phone with President Trump. In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elaina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning. He has just informed me that she will be released imminently."
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided a contrasting account of the situation. A spokesperson stated that Aghayeva, labeled as an "illegal alien from Azerbaijan," had her student visa terminated in 2016 for failing to attend classes during the Obama administration. They further noted that there were no pending appeals or applications with DHS on her behalf.
The meeting between President Trump and Mayor Mamdani follows previous public interactions, including a reference to Mamdani during a recent State of the Union address where President Trump called him "the new communist mayor of New York City," adding, "I think he’s a nice guy, actually. I speak to him a lot. Bad policy, but nice guy."
The Daily Mail reported that both officials have previously spoken positively about their working relationship. Mayor Mamdani's office has not released further details about the substance of their meeting, and the White House has yet to confirm the President's involvement in Aghayeva's release officially.
This incident has brought attention to the ongoing national discussion about immigration policy and enforcement in the United States. It underscores the complexities of the student visa system and the role of executive discretion in individual immigration cases. Aghayeva's release, anticipated following President Trump's agreement, will likely fuel further debate on the subject.
