Ellie Aghayeva, a Columbia University senior and TikTok and Instagram influencer, found herself in federal immigration detention for about nine hours after federal agents arrested her at a university residential building. This whole situation has left Columbia officials absolutely furious, especially since they claim the agents used a bold-faced lie to get onto campus in the first place.
The university alleges that agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) entered the building around 6:30 AM on Thursday without a warrant. They supposedly misrepresented their purpose, claiming they were searching for a “missing child.” Acting President Claire Shipman stated that security cameras even caught the agents in the hallway showing pictures of this alleged missing child.
Shipman made it clear that law enforcement, including DHS and ICE, needs a judicial warrant or subpoena to access non-public areas like residence halls, and an administrative warrant just isn’t enough. CNN reported that for her, this was an “utterly unacceptable” and “frightening” situation for students and staff.
ICE and DHS did something suspect, color me shocked
Aghayeva is an international student from Azerbaijan, double-majoring in neuroscience and political science. Between her TikTok and Instagram, she’s got over 100,000 followers and regularly posts about her intense library study sessions, lifestyle, and productivity habits. Just the night before her arrest, she had documented a 10-hour study session in the Columbia library, sharing her exam prep with her followers.
After her detention, she posted a photo on Instagram with the caption, “DHS illegally arrested me. Please help,” though she deleted it after her release. Later, she updated her followers, saying she was “safe and okay” but “in complete shock over what happened.” Her friend, Sabah Bari, describes Ellie as “highly motivated,” “extremely intelligent,” and “very funny,” adding that she’s on track to graduate in May.
DHS, however, tells a different story. They confirmed that ICE arrested Aghayeva because her student visa was terminated back in 2016 under the Obama administration for failing to attend classes. They also claim that the building manager and her roommate let officers into the apartment. When asked about the “missing person” pretense, DHS simply stated that their investigators “verbally identified themselves and visibly wore badges around their necks.”
The incident quickly caught the attention of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who happened to be meeting with President Trump. Mamdani wasted no time raising Aghayeva’s detention and managed to secure her release.
Legally speaking, federal agents can only enter public areas of Columbia University without a warrant, like outdoor walkways. According to legal analyst Joey Jackson, they have no right to enter residences or restricted buildings without “specific legal authorization,” which is only granted by judges. Tactics like misrepresentation to gain access are illegal and unconstitutional, and are an ongoing example of actions that judges have been ruling against.
Published: Feb 28, 2026 07:12 am