Donald Trump and New York Mayor Save Azerbaijani Student from Deportation in the US - PHOTO
Last Thursday morning, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Ed.) agents posed as New York police officers to enter Columbia University’s campus and detain an Azerbaijani student.
The university reported the abduction of the young woman, the incident quickly gained attention, and by the end of the day, a response came from US President Donald Trump, as reported by 1news.az citing Rubic.us.
It is noted that the arrest occurred at 6:30 a.m. in an apartment owned by Columbia University. The detained woman, Elmina Agayeva, a citizen of Azerbaijan, has been living in the US for at least 10 years.
Elmina Agayeva has over 100,000 followers on Instagram, and to draw attention to her arrest, she posted a photo on Instagram Stories on Thursday morning showing only her knees from the back seat of a car with the caption: "DHS (Department of Homeland Security – Ed.) illegally arrested me. Please help."
In connection with Elmina Agayeva’s arrest, Columbia University issued an official statement, which stated: "This morning, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security entered a Columbia University residence hall and detained a student. We are working to gather additional information, attempting to contact the family, and providing legal support. At this time, we understand that federal agents gained entry to the building under false pretenses, allegedly searching for a ‘missing person.’"
To arrest Elmina Agayeva, ICE agents posed as New York police, arriving at the building in plain clothes, presenting fake IDs, and showing a flyer claiming they were searching for a missing 5-year-old girl, which allowed them to bypass the residence hall’s security. It is emphasized that when the university administration realized they had been deceived by ICE agents, they called the police.
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal stated on social media regarding the incident: "They deliberately deceived campus security to gain access to the student’s residence. The scale of the civil rights violations that took place is staggering."
In turn, federal authorities confirmed that they arrested a citizen of Azerbaijan, stating that her student visa had been revoked 10 years ago.
In an official statement from ICE headquarters, it was noted: "ICE arrested Elmina Agayeva, an illegal immigrant from Azerbaijan, whose student visa was revoked in 2016 under the Obama administration for failing to attend classes. The building manager and her roommate allowed officers into her apartment. She has no pending appeals or petitions with the Department of Homeland Security."
In other words, ICE agents claim that Elmina Agayeva is not a legitimate student at Columbia University.
Rubic.us reports that 200 people gathered at the gates of Columbia University to protest Elmina Agayeva’s detention, holding signs reading "Abolish ICE" and "Immigrants Are New York."
It is noted that on the same day, Elmina Agayeva’s lawyer filed an emergency petition in Manhattan federal court requesting her release from custody, and the case quickly escalated to the highest political level. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated that he raised the issue of the student’s detention during a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday. Shortly after, Mamdani announced on social media that President Donald Trump informed him that the student would be released soon.
By Thursday evening, Elmina Agayeva stated in her Instagram Stories: "I am so grateful to each of you. I was just released and am now safe; I’m okay. I’m heading home. I’m really sorry, but I’m still in complete shock from what happened, and my phone is blowing up with calls from journalists. I need some time to process everything. I’ll be back soon."
According to Rubic.us, Elmina Agayeva is a fourth-year student at the School of General Studies, majoring in neuroscience and political science. She is 29 years old and has lived in the US since at least 2016. Before moving to New York to study at Columbia University, she lived in Connecticut and North Carolina. In 2020, she married Garrett Blackburn, a US citizen residing in North Carolina. According to him, they separated four years ago and no longer communicate.
