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DHS reportedly detained a Columbia University student and content creator
- Mia Sato
- February 26, 2026 at 7:49 PM
- 7 views
Students are seen on the campus of Columbia University on April 14, 2025, in New York City. An immigration judge ruled on April 11 that Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian student protester from Columbia University and a US permanent resident detained by the Trump administration, can be deported, his lawyer said. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Department of Homeland Security agents "made misrepresentations" to gain access to a Columbia University residential building and detained a student early Thursday morning, according to a statement issued by the school.
"Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a 'missing person,'" the statement says.
The Columbia Daily Spectator, the student newspaper, reported that the student who was detained is neuroscience researcher Ellie Aghayeva. Aghayeva is also a content creator with more than 100,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, and her identity as a stude …
Originally published at The Verge