
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said President Donald Trump informed him that a Columbia University student detained by ICE would be released imminently after the two spoke following a previously unscheduled White House meeting Thursday.
Mamdani wrote on X about Columbia University student Elaina Aghayeva, who he said was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier in the day.
"Just got off the phone with President Trump," he wrote. "In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elaina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning. He just informed me that she will be released imminently."
The mayor met with Trump at the White House earlier Thursday for a previously unscheduled visit, where the two were expected to discuss immigration and housing issues affecting New York City, according to the New York Post.
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Mamdani last visited Trump in the White House in November 2025, shortly after he won the mayoral election.
The pair shocked both sides of the aisle with their cordial demeanor during the meeting, with Trump downplaying Mamdani's previous attacks on the president.
"We have one thing in common," Trump said at the time. "We want this city of ours that we love to do very well. And I wanted to congratulate the mayor. He really ran an incredible race against, you know, a lot of smart people, starting with the early primaries against some very tough people, very smart people. And he beat them, and he beat them easily.
"I congratulated him, and we talked about some things in very strong common, like housing and getting housing built and food and prices."
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Ahead of the meeting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Mamdani a "communist" while remarking that Trump's doors are open to any U.S. leader no matter the political party.
Trump remained seated during his press event in the Oval Office after their meeting, while Mamdani stood by his side and fielded a handful of questions. The pair shared a hopeful outlook for the future, with Trump arguing that, despite their political differences, they will work together and also share a handful of priorities, namely affordability and lowering the cost of living for Americans.
The president predicted Mamdani "is going to surprise some conservative people, actually, and some very liberal people."
Reporters at the time pressed Mamdani about whether he still believed Trump was a fascist.
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"I've spoken about …" Mamdani began to answer before Trump said, "That's OK. You can just say yes."
"OK, all right," Mamdani continued.
"It's easier. It's … it's easier than explaining it. I don't mind," Trump added.
Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Source: Fox News - Politics



