A statement from Columbia University’s acting president said federal agents may have “made false statements to gain admission” to the residence hall.
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents detained a Columbia University student on campus on the morning of February 26 after they allegedly entered a dormitory under a false identity in order to search for a missing person, the school said.
Columbia University acting president Claire Shipman said in a statement to university officials that DHS officers entered a residential building at Columbia around 6:30 a.m. local time and detained a student.
“Our understanding at this time is that federal agents gave false descriptions in order to enter the building to search for a ‘missing person,'” Shipman wrote. “We are working to gather more information, contact the family and provide legal assistance.”
The student’s name was not released by the school, and it was not immediately clear why investigators detained him.
“It is important to reiterate that all law enforcement agencies must obtain a judicial warrant or subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, such as residences, classrooms, and areas requiring CUID swipe access,” Shipman wrote. “An administrative warrant alone is not enough.”
If law enforcement requests access to a non-public area of the university, Shipman directed the officer to ask students and faculty to “wait before entering the non-public area” until the school’s public safety department is contacted.
“Public Safety will contact the Office of the Attorney General to coordinate the University’s response. Do not allow warrants or subpoenas to be filed or served,” Shipman instructed.
Kimberly Winston with the university’s communications office told USA TODAY that the school is not releasing additional information about the case or the student, but will provide updates as there are developments.
USA TODAY has reached out to DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.
New York Governor Hochul: ‘They lied to get access’
The move drew scrutiny from local officials, including New York City Council President Julie Menin and New York City Council Majority Leader Sean Abreu, who called the incident “alarming” in a joint statement.
“ICE has no place in our schools and universities,” their statement published in X said. “These activities do not make our city or country safer; instead, they promote mistrust and danger. As Columbia University alumni, our hearts are in the Columbia University community and we have reached out to the University to offer support.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul also condemned the agency’s actions.
“Let’s be clear about what happened: ICE agents didn’t have the proper warrant, so they lied and entered a student’s private residence,” Hochul wrote in a post on X. “I proposed a bill that would ban ICE from entering sensitive locations like schools and dormitories. Let’s pass it now.”
Former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil also arrested in campus housing
The incident occurred less than a year after Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist, was arrested in the lobby of a Manhattan student apartment building, USA TODAY previously reported.
Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian with legal U.S. residency, was held in an immigration detention facility from early March to mid-June, when he was released. His case was the first of several high-profile cases in which pro-Palestinian student activists were detained and subject to deportation despite being legal residents.
Mr. Khalil remained free on bail as of Feb. 26, according to court records, while a federal lawsuit was pending in district court alleging that his detention violated his constitutional rights to free speech and due process.
This is a developing story and is being updated to add new information.
Contributor: USA TODAY’s Hannan Adely and Michael Loria
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund.
