Department of Homeland Security arrests Columbia student identified as neuroscience researcher

DHS agents arrest Columbia University neuroscience student

By Claire Cameron edited by Clara Moskowitz

Agents from the Department of Homeland Security arrested a student at Columbia University, the institution’s acting president said in a statement Thursday. The student, identified as Ellie Aghayeva by the university’s student newspaper, the Columbia Daily Spectator, was later released on Thursday, according to an update posted on a social media account belonging to Aghayeva.

Aghayeva describes herself as a neuroscience researcher and is pursuing an undergraduate degree in neurobiology and behavior and political science, according to her LinkedIn account. A statement reviewed by New York Times and given to the American Association of University Professors by Aghayeva’s friends also identifies her as an international student with a visa majoring in neuroscience and political science.

“We’re exporting education to the world by having students come to the United States to study, and that’s being undermined in ways that are really problematic,” said Virginia Page Fortna, Harold Brown Professor of American Foreign and Security Policy at Columbia University.

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Aghayeva is listed as a co-author on a book titled Ways of thinking and thinking about, which explores mental imagery and visual perception. The book was published by Living Lab, which was run by former Columbia University faculty member Alfredo Spagna, who also co-authored the book. His research focuses on the neural and psychological basis of visual perception and mental imagery. Spagna did not immediately respond to a request for comment Scientific American.

Columbia University Acting President Claire Shipman said in the statement that federal agents “made false representations to gain entry to the building to search for a ‘missing person.'” Columbia did not confirm the student’s identity to Scientific American.

The DHS action comes less than a year after federal immigration agents arrested another Columbia student, Mahmoud Khalil, in March 2025. He was released last June, and legal action in his case continues.

DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment Scientific American.

Editor’s Note (2/26/26): This is a developing story and may be updated.

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