They were sitting in the street and blocking traffic near the entrance to the school.
The NYPD ordered them to move and said they would be charged with disorderly conduct.
The group called on Columbia to serve as a sanctuary campus and to block the efforts of ICE.
In a statement, Columbia said the university requires ICE to have a judicial warrant to access non-public areas, and no member of their leadership or the board of trustees has ever requested the presence of ICE agents on or near campus.
"Columbia University supports the right of individuals to peacefully protest. However, claims made against the University during today's protest activity, which took place outside of our gates, are factually incorrect," the university said in the statement.
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