Mamdani meets Trump in surprise White House visit

Washington: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani held an unannounced meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, marking a striking encounter between two political opposites who have clashed sharply in recent months.

The meeting was not listed on the public schedule. No television cameras were invited into the Oval Office. Hours later, Mamdani described the interaction as “a productive meeting” and said he was “looking forward to building more housing in New York City.”

A photograph released by the mayor showed Trump seated behind the Resolute Desk holding two mock New York Daily News front pages. One was an authentic 1975 edition carrying the headline “Ford to City: Drop Dead.” The other was a fabricated page reading “Trump to City: Let’s Build,” crediting the president with backing a “New Era of Housing.”

In smaller print, the mock page declared: “Trump Delivers 12,000+ Homes; Most Since 1973.”

City Hall spokeswoman Anna Bahr said the mayor had presented “a couple of pitches that would produce and construct more housing in a handful of projects than has happened in 50 years.”

No further details were immediately provided on the scope, location or funding of the proposed housing projects.

The visit also took an unexpected turn on immigration.

After leaving the White House, Mamdani wrote on X: “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.”

Aghayeva was later released.

She had been detained early Thursday morning after federal agents entered a residential building on Columbia University’s Manhattan campus.

Columbia said immigration officials “made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building” in order to arrest her. Acting President Claire Shipman said: “Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a ‘missing person.’ We are working to gather more details.”

She added: “If law enforcement agents seek entry to non-public areas of the University, ask the agents to wait to enter any non-public areas until contacting Public Safety. Public Safety will contact the Office of the General Counsel to coordinate the University’s response. Do not allow them to enter or accept service of a warrant or subpoena.”

In a statement to the Columbia Daily Spectator, the Department of Homeland Security said Aghayeva’s visa was terminated in 2016 for failing to attend class. “The building manager and her roommate let officers into the apartment. She has no pending appeals or applications with DHS,” the statement said.

The White House did not immediately comment on the meeting.

The encounter underscores an evolving dynamic between Mamdani, a democratic socialist, and Trump, a Republican president who has frequently criticised Democratic-led cities over immigration and federal policy. Despite sharp rhetoric during the election campaign, the two have now met more than once in the Oval Office.

New York City depends heavily on federal funding streams and has been at the centre of national debates over immigration enforcement. Columbia University, one of the most prominent private institutions in the United States, has in recent years been a focal point in disputes involving campus access and federal authority.

IANS