Ellie Aghayeva, a Columbia University student, claimed on social media that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents arrested her “illegally” from the campus on Thursday. The DHS, however, claimed that her student visa had expired in 2016 "for failing to attend classes."
Claire Shipman, the president of Columbia University in New York City, said that DHS agents raided the campus pretending to search for a “missing person” and arrested the student around 6:30 a.m. But the DHS said that Aghayeva's roommate let the agents in.
Shipman did not identify the student in a statement released to the university community. The Columbia Spectator, the university's newspaper, however, confirmed the student's identity as Aghayeva and noted that she was arrested from her university-owned residence.
“The building manager and her roommate let officers into the apartment,” the DHS said in a statement.
Notably, the Columbia Spectator confirmed that Aghayeva is a foreign student on a student visa. The DHS said that she is from Azerbaijan. Aghayeva is a senior at the university researching in neuroscience, her LinkedIn profile confirms.
Notably, this is the second major detention from the university of a foreign student by federal agents after Mahmoud Khalil, an Algerian Palestinian student, was detained in March 2025.
Who Is Ellie Aghayeva?
{{/usCountry}}Notably, this is the second major detention from the university of a foreign student by federal agents after Mahmoud Khalil, an Algerian Palestinian student, was detained in March 2025.
Who Is Ellie Aghayeva?
{{/usCountry}}Along with being a neuroscience researcher, Ellie Aghayeva is also a content creator and influencer, boasting over 100,000 followers on both Instagram and TikTok.
She creates content around neuroscience, lifestyle and productivity, according to the biography on her Instagram profile. Most of her recent content prior to her arrest has been focused on her life at Columbia and in New York City.
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On Thursday, around 10am EST, she posted an Instagram Story where she shared a photo of herself in detention and claimed that the DHS had "illegally arrested" her. "Please help," she wrote.
Here's a screenshot of her Instagram story:
University Official Bring In New Rule For Immigration Raids
Columbia University officials announced a new rule for federal agents on campus. Per the rules, the agents will now require a judicial warrant or subpoena to access non-public areas on the campus, and an administrative warrant will no longer fit the bill, the statement noted.