Thirteen anti‑immigration enforcement demonstrators were arrested after police say they blocked a Columbia University entrance and ignored repeated orders to disperse. Video showed protesters wearing shirts reading "Sanctuary Campus Now" and "ICE Off Campus." Columbia reiterated that ICE must have a judicial warrant to enter non‑public campus areas and called other claims made during the protest "factually incorrect." The arrests follow tensions tied to the March 2025 arrest and legal disputes involving former student Mahmoud Khalil.
NYPD Detains 13 Anti‑ICE Protesters After Blocking Columbia University Entrance
Columbia students, professors and activists held a rally outside the university to demand that the school establish a sanctuary campus.(Getty Images)
Thirteen demonstrators opposing immigration enforcement were arrested Thursday after New York City Police Department officers say they ignored repeated orders to disperse while blocking an entrance to Columbia University.
An NYPD spokesperson said officers responded to the scene near the university at about 1:30 p.m. local time and took 13 people into custody, issuing criminal court summonses. It was not immediately clear whether those detained were students, staff or outside activists.
Video of the protest showed participants wearing black T‑shirts with slogans including "Sanctuary Campus Now" and "ICE Off Campus." The NYPD said multiple orders to disperse were given and that the crowd disregarded those directives for roughly 20 minutes before arrests were made.
Columbia University Response
NYPD officers give final warnings to agitators blocking traffic on Broadway as they demonstrate against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Columbia University on Feb. 5, 2026, in New York City.
In a statement posted to its website, Columbia said it "supports the right of individuals to peacefully protest," but called several claims made during the demonstration "factually incorrect." The university emphasized its policy that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) must present a judicial warrant to access non‑public areas such as classrooms, residence halls and other spaces that require a Columbia ID. According to the statement, an administrative warrant is not sufficient and the university maintains a publicly available protocol for any potential ICE visits.
"To be clear, the University requires ICE to have a judicial warrant to access non‑public areas... An administrative warrant is not sufficient to access non‑public areas of the University," Columbia officials said. "No member of Columbia’s leadership or the board of trustees has ever requested the presence of ICE agents on or near campus. This is a false assertion."
Context
The arrests come amid heightened campus tensions after the March 2025 arrest of former Columbia student and anti‑Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil by federal immigration agents at his Manhattan apartment. Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, was ordered released from detention on June 20. Earlier this year, a federal appeals court found that U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz lacked "subject‑matter jurisdiction" under federal immigration law to block Khalil’s deportation; the American Civil Liberties Union subsequently argued that the ruling did not take immediate effect and that Khalil should have the opportunity for prompt review before any re‑detention.
The NYPD processed the demonstrators with criminal summonses. Authorities and university officials have urged peaceful, lawful expression while stressing that obstructing campus access can result in enforcement action.
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