New York Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned federal immigration agents for detaining a Columbia University student in her campus residence hall after the university said the agents lied to gain access to the dorm on February 26, 2026.
What happened
- Early on February 26, DHS/ICE agents entered a Columbia University residential building and took student Ellie (Elaina) Aghayeva into custody, allegedly by claiming they were looking for a missing person or child to persuade campus or building staff to let them in.
- Columbia’s acting president Claire Shipman told the campus that the agents misrepresented their intentions and entered without presenting any judicial warrant to university public safety.
- DHS/ICE later asserted that Aghayeva’s student visa had been terminated in 2016 for non-attendance and said the building manager and her roommate allowed agents into the apartment.
Hochul’s criticism
- Hochul issued a sharply worded statement saying that ICE agents “didn’t have the proper warrant, so they lied to gain access to a student’s private residence.”
- She described the episode as part of a pattern of “rogue deportation” activity with “zero transparency and even less accountability,” and linked it to other controversial federal immigration actions in New York.
- Hochul also said “no student should be taken from their dorm through deceit” and called for an independent investigation and real accountability for what happened on Columbia’s campus.
Calls for changes
- Hochul has proposed legislation to bar ICE from entering “sensitive locations” such as schools and dormitories in New York, in response to this incident.
- She and other officials, including Sen. Chuck Schumer and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, urged stricter requirements that federal agents have judicial warrants and follow university protocols before accessing non-public campus areas.
- Columbia University said it will tighten its own rules: residential staff are now instructed not to allow any law enforcement into non-public areas without Columbia Public Safety present and guidance from university legal counsel, except in emergencies.
Columbia’s acting president Claire Shipman told the campus that the agents misrepresented their intentions and entered without presenting any judicial warrant to university public safety. Columbia University Statement
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) and NYS Assemblymember Micah Lasher stated: “We are disgusted and outraged that ICE agents entered a Columbia University residential building under false pretenses and without a judicial warrant to detain a student.” Official Congressional Statement
Columbia University said it will tighten its own rules: residential staff are now instructed not to allow any law enforcement into non-public areas without Columbia Public Safety present and guidance from university legal counsel, except in emergencies. Columbia University Statement
