Trump and Zohran Mamdani Meet at White House Over Housing and Columbia Student Release
President Donald Trump welcomed Zohran Mamdani to the White House on Feb. 26 for a previously undisclosed meeting focused on housing expansion and immigration concerns involving a student from Columbia University.
According to City Hall, the leaders discussed a proposal to build thousands of new housing units across New York City. Mamdani’s spokesperson confirmed that the meeting took place in the Oval Office and was scheduled ahead of Trump’s recent State of the Union address. Mamdani later shared a photo from the visit on social media.
“I had a productive meeting with President Trump this afternoon,” Mamdani said in a social media post. “I’m looking forward to building more housing in New York City.”
Immigration enforcement also became a key topic after Department of Homeland Security agents detained a Colombian student, Elmina Aghayeva, earlier that morning. USA Today notes that city officials said Mamdani raised concerns directly with Trump and representatives from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, requesting intervention not only for Aghayeva but also for several other students facing enforcement action.
Later that day, Mamdani shared an update confirming progress.
“Just got off the phone with President Trump.
In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elmina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning.
He has just informed me that she will be released imminently.”
Aghayeva later confirmed her release through social media. The meeting signals rare cooperation between the two political figures, highlighting shared interests in housing development while navigating ongoing tensions surrounding immigration enforcement and student detentions.
Source: https://thesource.com/2026/02/27/trump-zohran-mamdani-white-house-meeting-housing-columbia-student/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=trump-zohran-mamdani-white-house-meeting-housing-columbia-student
