Photo: @NYCMayor on X
3:30 pm Update:
Zohran Announces Trump Will Help Process the Release of a Columbia Student who was arrested by ICE.
Just got off the phone with President Trump.
In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elaina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning.
He has just informed me that she will be released imminently. https://t.co/rvmTWpq83r
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) February 26, 2026
(Washington, DC) – New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani traveled to the White House on Thursday for a meeting with President Donald Trump, sources confirmed to CBS News New York.
I had a productive meeting with President Trump this afternoon.
I’m looking forward to building more housing in New York City. pic.twitter.com/XnPbt0KXYU
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) February 26, 2026
The visit marks at least the second time Mamdani and Trump have met at the White House. Their first high-profile meeting came shortly before Mamdani’s swearing-in ceremony, drawing significant political attention as the two leaders — often seen as ideological opposites — sat down face-to-face.
Since then, the mayor has indicated the two have remained in communication.
It was not immediately clear what prompted Thursday’s meeting. However, it comes just days after Trump mentioned Mamdani during his State of the Union address, referring to him as a “nice guy.”
Timing Raises Questions
The meeting also comes on the same day ICE agents detained a Columbia University student. According to Columbia University’s acting president, Claire Shipman, agents allegedly gained access to the student’s apartment under “misrepresentations.” Details surrounding the incident remain limited.
The overlap between the detention and the White House meeting immediately drew attention, though no direct connection has been publicly established.
