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.
