Overview
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed the Feb. 26 Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump and said housing was the focus.
- Mamdani’s spokesperson said a plan for roughly 12,000 new units was presented and characterized it as potentially the largest federal housing investment in more than 50 years, with details and federal confirmation not yet provided.
- Mamdani said Trump told him that Columbia student Elaina Aghayeva, detained by ICE earlier that day, would be released shortly; university officials said agents gained entry to a campus residence using deception.
- The visit was not publicly announced in advance, though CNN had reported earlier that a meeting was expected, citing people familiar with the plans.
- It was the second such engagement since November, when the pair discussed real estate, zoning codes, and utility rates, signaling an ongoing working relationship.