Immigration Agents Arrest Student Inside Columbia Building, School Says

Claire Shipman, the university’s acting president, said that the federal officials had misrepresented themselves to gain access.

Federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security entered a residential building owned by Columbia University early Thursday morning and detained a student, the school said in a letter to the campus.

Claire Shipman, the university’s acting president, said that Columbia officials believed that the federal agents had misrepresented themselves to gain access to the building, saying that they were searching for a “missing person.”

“We are working to gather more details,” she wrote.

The action appears to be a significant escalation on Columbia’s campus by immigration enforcement officials after months of relative quiet. Mahmoud Khalil, who had recently graduated from Columbia, was detained in the lobby of his university dormitory building in March 2025.

Lauren Bis, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said that the agency was preparing a statement about the operation that would be released soon.

Columbia did not provide details about the identity of the student, or the location of the building where the student had been arrested. In her statement, Ms. Shipman said that the detention had taken place at about 6:30 a.m. and that the university was working to reach the student’s family and to provide legal support.

All law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant to access private areas of Columbia, including housing, classrooms and areas requiring an identification to enter. An administrative warrant is not sufficient. It appeared that no such warrant was used in this case, according to Columbia.

Ms. Shipman said that she would provide more information as it became available.

Julie Menin, the speaker of the City Council, said that she had been briefed on the detention, and had issued a joint statement with Shaun Abreu, the council member representing the area, condemning the action.

“ICE has no place in our schools and universities,” they wrote. “These activities do not make our city or country safer, but rather drive mistrust and danger.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Related Content