Columbia scholar detained by ICE brokers to be launched after Mamdani–Trump assembly
New York Metropolis mayor Zohran Mamdani met with President Donald Trump on the White Home on Thursday for a beforehand unannounced assembly that lasted about an hour, specializing in main new housing investments within the metropolis whereas additionally addressing the arrest of a Columbia College scholar.After the assembly, Mamdani posted on X, “I had a productive assembly with President Trump this afternoon. I’m wanting ahead to constructing extra housing in New York Metropolis.”As a part of his go to, Mamdani offered Trump with a mock newspaper entrance web page created by his workforce. It featured the headline, “Trump to Metropolis: Let’s Construct” — a riff on the well-known 1975 New York Each day Information cowl that learn “Ford to Metropolis: Drop Lifeless,” referring to Gerald Ford’s vow to veto monetary help to the town.Mamdani’s workplace declined to offer particulars in regards to the housing proposal, however Anna Bahr, the mayor’s communications director, stated Trump was “very enthusiastic” about it. She stated that in their first one-on-one assembly on the White Home in November, Trump inspired Mamdani to return with an thought to construct main tasks collectively in New York Metropolis. Bahr added that the mayor’s workforce created the mock entrance web page and headlines to indicate what sort of response new federal housing investments might generate. Throughout Thursday’s assembly, Mamdani additionally raised the arrest of Columbia College scholar Ellie Aghayeva, who had been detained earlier within the day by federal immigration authorities. The arrest triggered protests on campus and allegations that brokers gained entry to a university-owned residence by posing as cops trying to find a lacking baby.Simply hours after detaining Aghayeva, the federal authorities reversed course and allowed her to stroll free following what seemed to be an intervention by Donald Trump. Mamdani additionally gave White Home chief of workers Susie Wiles an inventory of 4 different college students focused by federal authorities and requested for the administration’s assist.“He has simply knowledgeable me that she shall be launched imminently,” Mamdani wrote on social media, referring to Aghayeva.The fast developments underscored the evolving relationship between Trump and Mamdani, a democratic socialist whom Trump as soon as threatened to have deported. In the course of the mayoral marketing campaign, Trump repeatedly criticised Mamdani as a “communist,” however appeared extra receptive after their November assembly.
