Investigation finds federal immigration agents gained access to student housing without judicial warrants, raising questions about campus security procedures and student protections.
NEW YORK | Columbia University is facing mounting criticism after federal immigration agents repeatedly gained access to campus buildings despite a longstanding university policy requiring judicial warrants for law enforcement entry into non-public areas.
The controversy intensified following the detention of Elmina “Ellie” Aghayeva, a neuroscience student taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) inside university housing. According to university officials, the agents entered the building by telling a security guard they were searching for a missing child—without presenting a warrant.
The incident has triggered a broader debate over whether Columbia failed to enforce its own policies designed to protect students from federal immigration enforcement.
University Policy vs. Real-World Practice
Columbia’s official guidelines state that law enforcement officers must present a judicial warrant or subpoena before entering non-public university property, including residence halls.
Yet documents reviewed by investigators and interviews with students suggest that ICE agents entered campus buildings without warrants on multiple occasions over the past year.
In Aghayeva’s case, acting Columbia President Claire Shipman said the five agents did not present any legal documentation when they entered the building.
“They misrepresented themselves,” Shipman said in a video statement, explaining that agents claimed to be police officers searching for a missing child.
By the time a Columbia security officer arrived and asked to see a warrant, the agents had already entered the property.
Growing Questions About Campus Security Training
Students and faculty say the episode reflects deeper problems with training and preparedness among campus security personnel.
A Columbia psychology professor who spoke on condition of anonymity said the building staff member who allowed agents inside appeared unfamiliar with the policy.
“It was clear that this individual didn’t know what he was supposed to do,” the professor said.
Critics argue that the university has failed to properly train front-line staff to enforce the rules meant to protect students.
A Pattern of Similar Incidents
The Aghayeva detention follows several other encounters between federal immigration agents and Columbia students.
Last year, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist and protest organizer, was arrested by immigration authorities inside a Columbia residential building. According to Khalil, agents also entered the building without presenting a warrant.
“They said they’d file a report and told me not to open the door,” Srinivasan recalled. “And that was it.”
These incidents occurred during a period of heightened tension between the Trump administration and Columbia University, including a dispute over $400 million in federal funding temporarily suspended by the federal government.
Protest Politics and Immigration Enforcement
Several students who were targeted by immigration authorities were involved in campus demonstrations related to the Israel–Gaza war, intensifying debate over free speech, campus security and political activism.
Mahmoud Khalil said the university responded aggressively to student protests while failing to protect students from immigration enforcement.
“Columbia invested more in training Public Safety how to arrest students than how to protect them,” he said.
Critics argue the university has adopted a double standard—quickly deploying security resources to police protests while failing to enforce its own policies against federal immigration access.
Columbia Announces New Security Measures
Following Aghayeva’s arrest, Columbia officials said the university is implementing new steps aimed at preventing future incidents.
- Additional Public Safety patrols around residential buildings
- Expanded video intercom access systems
- Distribution of “Know Your Rights” materials for students
- New webinars on immigration law and campus policies
University leaders also said building staff had recently received additional training on how to respond to law enforcement requests.
But critics say those measures come too late.
“It has to be more than a policy,” said Eli Northrup, a New York state assembly candidate whose district includes Columbia University. “It has to be executed.”
A National Debate Over Campus Protections
The controversy reflects a broader national tension as universities navigate the intersection of immigration enforcement, student activism, and institutional autonomy.
Columbia’s policies mirror those adopted by many major universities seeking to protect international students and undocumented individuals from federal enforcement actions conducted without warrants.
But as the recent incidents demonstrate, written rules may be insufficient without consistent enforcement.
For many students and faculty members, the question now is not what Columbia’s policy says—but whether the university will ensure it is actually followed.
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-- By James W. Thomas and Jasmine Thomas
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