NYC mayor says Trump promised to release Columbia University student arrested by ICE

President Trump has promised to have ICE release a Columbia University student who was arrested by ICE earlier Thursday, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

The school said the student — whom the mayor identified as Elimina Aghayeva — was arrested early in the morning by Homeland Security officers who “made misrepresentations” to gain access to her residential building.

Mr. Mamdani said he raised the matter with Mr. Trump in a phone call.

“He has just informed me that she will be released immediately,” he said.

Ms. Aghayeva posted to social media after the arrest, saying Homeland Security “illegally arrested me.”

Columbia University said immigration officers need “a judicial warrant or a judicial subpoena” to access non-public areas of university buildings.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has argued that is not always the case and an administrative warrant is sufficient in some instances.

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.