New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he had a "productive meeting" with President Donald Trump on Thursday, highlighting housing policy and the reported release of a detained Columbia University student following their discussion.
"I had a productive meeting with President Trump this afternoon," Mamdani wrote on X alongside a photo of himself standing with the president. "I'm looking forward to building more housing in New York City."
In a follow-up post, Mamdani added that he raised concerns during the meeting about Columbia student Elmina Aghayeva, who he said had been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier in the day.
"In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elmina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning," Mamdani wrote.
"He has just informed me that she will be released imminently."
The mayor did not provide additional details about the circumstances of Aghayeva's detention or the reason ICE had taken her into custody. Federal officials had not immediately released a statement confirming her release.
The meeting between Mamdani and Trump comes as New York City continues to grapple with a housing shortage and rising affordability concerns.
Mamdani has made expanding the city's housing supply a central focus of his administration, arguing that increased construction is key to lowering costs and easing pressure on renters.
Trump, a longtime New York real estate developer before entering politics, has frequently weighed in on urban development and housing issues. He has generally promoted deregulation and private-sector incentives as tools to spur construction and reduce costs.
The photo accompanying Mamdani's post shows the two leaders standing side by side and smiling, marking a notable moment of engagement between City Hall and the White House.
In the photo, Trump is holding two printouts of New York Daily News front pages, one real and one fake.
The one in his left hand shows a real front page from 1975, with the infamous headline "Ford to City: Drop Dead," published after President Gerald Ford refused to bail out New York City.
The fake front page, which Trump holds in his other hand, reads "Trump to City: Let's Build."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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