DHS detains Columbia student in dorm, school says agents 'made misrepresentations' to enter building

A Columbia University student was detained Thursday by Department of Homeland Security agents who "made misrepresentations" to enter the building on campus, according to the institution's president.

"Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a 'missing person,'" Columbia's acting president Claire Shipman wrote in an email to the university, CBS News New York reported.

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal claimed in a post on X, "ICE agents impersonated NYPD with fake badges and a phony missing persons bulletin for a 5 year old girl. They purposefully deceived campus housing/security to gain entry to the student’s apartment. The level of civil rights violations that took place is staggering."

The media outlet didn't immediately receive a response to a request for comment from DHS on Thursday.

"This morning at approximately 6:30 a.m., federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security entered a Columbia Residential building and detained a student. We are working to gather more information, working to reach the family, and providing legal support," Shipman wrote in an email to students.

"Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a 'missing person.' We are working to gather more details," she continued.

"It is important to reiterate that all law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, including housing, classrooms, and areas requiring CUID swipe access. An administrative warrant is not sufficient."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) expressed concern about how the detention occurred.

"I want to know if they had a warrant. What the conditions of that arrest were. And ... we're still looking for more information, but, to misrepresent who they are, I've said they're out of control," Hochul said.

In March, Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist and graduate student involved in protests at Columbia over the Israel-Hamas war, was picked up by federal agents at his Manhattan apartment, triggering a long legal battle as the Trump administration tried to deport him.