Federal agents release Columbia student after university says they used false pretenses to enter building and detain her

5 articles, oldest first.

1. Local News 8

   Federal agents release Columbia student after university says they used false pretenses to enter building and detain her ↗ (opens Local News 8)

   Published Feb 25, 2026

   Same headline from 1 more outlet

   Local News 8's feed description

   By Alaa Elassar, CNN (CNN) — Ellie Aghayeva – a Columbia University student who was detained early Thursday after the university said federal immigration agents allegedly used false pretenses to enter a campus residential building – has been released, she confirmed on her Instagram account.

2. NPR

   ICE agents misrepresented themselves to arrest a student at Columbia, lawyers say ↗ (opens NPR)

   Published Feb 25, 2026

   Same headline from 1 more outlet

   NPR's feed description

   Columbia University says federal immigration agents entered a residence hall under the guise of searching for a missing person and then arrested Ellie Aghayeva, a student from Azerbaijan.

3. Forbes

   Columbia University Says Student Was Arrested After Agents Lied ↗ (opens Forbes)

   Published Feb 25, 2026

   Forbes's feed description

   Columbia University student Ellie Aghayeva was detained by federal agents who misrepresented themselves, campus officials said.

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.