Trump Agrees to $21 Billion NYC Housing Plan and Student Release

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani held an unannounced meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on February 26, 2026, to propose a $21 billion federal investment in affordable housing. Mamdani pitched a project to build 12,000 units, including 6,000 Mitchell-Lama-style homes, on a rail deck over Sunnyside Yard in Queens. To secure support, Mamdani presented Trump with mock New York Daily News front pages depicting the president as a housing hero, contrasting the vision with President Gerald Ford's 1975 refusal to aid the city. Trump expressed enthusiasm for the proposal, which would be the largest federal housing investment in the city since 1973.

During the visit, Mamdani also advocated for the release of Ellie Aghayeva, a Columbia University student and Azerbaijani citizen detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that morning. Trump subsequently ordered her imminent release. The arrest sparked controversy after Acting Columbia President Claire Shipman alleged that federal agents gained entry to the dormitory without a warrant by posing as police searching for a missing child. The Department of Homeland Security denied these claims, stating the student's visa had been terminated in 2016. Mamdani also provided a list of four other students detained during pro-Palestinian protests, requesting case dismissals.

While Governor Kathy Hochul supported the housing initiative, local critics like Council Member Julie Won argued that Mamdani bypassed community input and local land-use processes. Despite their divergent ideologies, both leaders described the meeting as productive and agreed to continue discussions.