President Trump orders release of Columbia University student detained by ICE per Mamdani's request

President Donald Trump, at the request of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, ordered the release of a Columbia University student who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for roughly nine hours for overstaying her student visa by about a decade.

Elaina Aghayeva, a neuroscience and political science student originally from Azerbaijan, was taken into custody early Feb. 26, 2026, by federal immigration agents at her on-campus residence in New York City, according to city officials.

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