A Columbia University student’s early‑morning detention by federal immigration agents sparked protests on campus and a rapid reversal: the student was released hours after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he raised the case during a White House meeting and President Donald Trump agreed to intervene. Columbia officials said agents gained entry to university housing by misrepresenting themselves. The episode intensified existing campus tensions over immigration enforcement and raised questions about agents’ access to university residences. Columbia’s leadership and student groups criticized the tactics and called for clearer protocols to protect campuses and students. Higher‑education leaders flagged the incident as emblematic of a broader national trend: increased interior immigration operations are complicating student safety and mental‑health efforts. Universities are now reexamining relationships with law enforcement and immigration authorities and updating crisis‑response procedures.