DHS agents impersonated NYPD officers with fake badges and a phony missing child report to arrest Columbia student Elmina Aghayeva in her dorm, sparking outrage from Gov. Kathy Hochul and NYC officials.
ICE Agents Used Fake Badges to Arrest Columbia Student (Image: X)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents detained a Columbia University senior Thursday morning after allegedly impersonating police officers with fake badges and a false missing persons report to gain entry to her campus residence. The arrest of Elmina Aghayeva, an Azerbaijani student whose visa was terminated nearly a decade ago, has ignited fierce condemnation from state and city leaders who accuse federal agents of deceptive tactics and civil rights violations.
The student taken into federal custody is Elmina Aghayeva, a senior at Columbia University studying neuroscience and political science who was scheduled to graduate this year . Aghayeva, who has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram, posted a desperate message from what appeared to be the back of a vehicle early Thursday morning: "Dhs illegally arrested me. Please help" .
According to her attorneys, Aghayeva entered the United States on a student visa in 2016 . A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told reporters that her "student visa was terminated in 2016 under the Obama administration for failing to attend classes" and that she has "no pending appeals or applications with DHS" . Her lawyers have filed an emergency habeas corpus petition requesting a federal judge order her immediate release, arguing the arrest was conducted without a warrant .
Federal agents arrived at Columbia's Morningside Heights campus around 6:30 a.m. Thursday and gained access to a residential building through what the university called "misrepresentations" . Acting Columbia President Claire Shipman stated in a letter to the school community that agents claimed they were investigating a missing persons case involving a 5-year-old girl .
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal posted on X that ICE agents "impersonated NYPD with fake badges and a phony missing persons bulletin for a 5 year old girl" and "purposefully deceived campus housing/security to gain entry to the student's apartment" . He later noted the impersonation claim remained "unconfirmed" but called the potential civil rights violations "staggering" .
A DHS spokesperson confirmed the arrest but did not address allegations about deceptive tactics, stating only that "the building manager and her roommate let officers into the apartment" .
Gov. Kathy Hochul delivered one of the sharpest rebukes, writing on X: "Let's be clear about what happened: ICE agents didn't have the proper warrant, so they lied to gain access to a student's private residence" . She announced she has "proposed a bill that would ban ICE from entering sensitive locations like schools and dorms" and called for its immediate passage .
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Majority Leader Shaun Abreu issued a joint statement saying: "ICE has no place in our schools and universities. These activities do not make our city or country safer, but rather drive mistrust and danger" . Rep. Jerry Nadler added that federal agents "should not, under no circumstance, misrepresent their identity to gain entrance into a residence" .
Shipman emphasized in her community letter that "all law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, including housing, classrooms, and areas requiring CUID swipe access" . She noted that "an administrative warrant is not sufficient" .
The university instructed students and staff that if law enforcement agents seek entry to non-public areas, they should "ask the agents to wait to enter any non-public areas until contacting Public Safety," who will then coordinate with the Office of the General Counsel . Shipman added: "Do not allow them to enter or accept service of a warrant or subpoena" .
The incident closely echoes the March 2025 detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist whom ICE arrested at his university-owned apartment . Khalil, whom the government claims is a Hamas supporter, spent more than three months in a Louisiana ICE detention facility and faces deportation to Algeria after a yearlong legal battle .
Several other foreign students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests were also arrested last year, sparking concerns about free speech on college campuses . Unlike those targeted for activism, Aghayeva's social media presence focused primarily on studying tips and her experience as an immigrant student .
A: In 2016 under Obama administration for failing to attend classes.
A: Claimed investigating a missing 5-year-old girl, per local officials.
A: Building manager and Aghayeva's roommate, per DHS.
A: Contact Public Safety and General Counsel; do not allow entry without coordination.
A: Mahmoud Khalil, anti-Israel activist detained in March 2025 from dorm.
Disclaimer: This information is based on inputs from news agency reports. TSG does not independently confirm the information provided by the relevant sources.
