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Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump met again at the White House to discuss housing affordability and student detentions by federal immigration authorities. Mamdani raised concerns over the recent detention of Columbia University student Elmina Aghayeva, who was subsequently released. Housing costs and accessibility remain key topics for both, though challenges persist due to high mortgage rates and limited supply. Mamdani also highlighted cases of four pro-Palestinian students facing deportation, emphasizing human rights concerns amid ongoing criticisms of Trump's immigration and foreign policy approaches.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday for the second time since Mamdani's mayoral victory late last year. During the meeting, they focused on key issues including housing affordability and student detentions by federal immigration authorities. Advertisement
Mamdani shared a photo from the meeting on social media, noting that he had a productive discussion with Trump and expressed his intent to expand housing development in New York City. He also raised concerns about the recent detention of Columbia University student Elmina Aghayeva, originally from Azerbaijan, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Following the discussion, Trump informed Mamdani that Aghayeva would be released, which the Department of Homeland Security later confirmed. DHS stated that she was freed and that removal proceedings had been initiated.
Despite their sharply differing political views, the two leaders have maintained cordial public interactions. Their first meeting last November also revolved around housing, with Mamdani advocating for increased development and Trump, a former real estate developer, responding positively to efforts to make housing more accessible. Housing affordability has remained a priority for both, particularly as costs have risen sharply in recent years. Trump has highlighted affordable housing as a central issue ahead of the midterm elections and reiterated his commitment in his State of the Union address earlier this week. However, high U.S. mortgage rates and a shortage of housing supply continue to keep homeownership out of reach for many families. Experts note that Trump's trade and immigration policies have also affected the cost of building materials and labor availability, further challenging housing construction.
Mamdani has been vocal in criticizing Trump's strict immigration enforcement and his use of ICE in deportation efforts. He also raised concerns about the president's policies toward Israel's war in Gaza. Mamdani's office shared that he provided the White House with a list of four pro-Palestinian students facing deportation, requesting intervention to help dismiss their cases. Among them, Mahmoud Khalil, Yunseo Chung, Mohsen Mahdawi, and Leqaa Kordia, only Kordia remains in detention after recently being hospitalized following a seizure and losing dozens of family members in Gaza. The other three students were released over the past year.
Trump has characterized some pro-Palestinian protesters as antisemitic. However, demonstrators and certain Jewish groups argue that he conflates criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza and the occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism, while wrongly associating advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for extremism.
Source Reuters
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