In a stunning turn of events amid ongoing political tensions, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made an unannounced visit to the White House on Thursday, sitting down with President Donald Trump for a private discussion. This impromptu meeting between the Democratic socialist leader and the Republican president marks a rare moment of direct engagement, defying their well-documented ideological clashes.
Mamdani described the conversation as ‘meaningful,’ highlighting his push for expanded housing initiatives in the nation’s largest city. According to a City Hall spokesperson, Anna Bahr, the mayor presented bold proposals that could potentially deliver more new housing units in select projects than have been built over the past five decades combined. Details on the scope, locations, or funding mechanisms remain under wraps for now.
The talks took an unexpected turn on immigration enforcement. Emerging from the White House, Mamdani posted on X (formerly Twitter) about raising concerns over Columbia University student Elaina Aghayeva, who had been detained by ICE that morning. ‘In our previous meeting, I expressed worry about Columbia student Elaina Aghayeva, detained by ICE this morning. They’ve just informed me she’ll be released shortly,’ he wrote. True to the update, Aghayeva was freed later that day.
Federal agents had raided her residential building in Columbia’s Manhattan campus early Thursday, using what university officials called deceptive tactics. Acting President Claire Shipman stated that agents gained entry by falsely claiming they were searching for a ‘missing person.’ The university urged law enforcement to coordinate through its public safety department for any future access to non-public areas and to present proper warrants.
The Department of Homeland Security countered that Aghayeva’s visa was revoked in 2016 due to class absences, with no pending appeals. Building management and her roommate had allowed entry, they clarified.
This encounter underscores shifting dynamics between Mamdani and Trump, who has repeatedly lambasted Democratic-led cities like New York on immigration and federal policy fronts. Despite campaign trail barbs, the two have now met multiple times in the Oval Office. With NYC heavily reliant on federal funding and at the epicenter of national immigration debates, Columbia University— one of America’s premier private institutions— continues to grapple with federal overreach controversies on campus.
The White House has yet to comment officially, leaving observers to ponder if this signals pragmatic collaboration or mere political theater.