WASHINGTON − The Trump administration is pulling about $400 million in federal funds from Columbia University, citing the school’s “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students,” the Department of Education and other agencies announced Friday.
Columbia has been at the center of college protests in which demonstrators demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel because of the civilian deaths and humanitarian crisis in the Israel-Hamas war.
There have been allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia in protests and counterprotests. Columbia has said it has been fighting antisemitism.
Student demonstrations have continued to roil the Columbia campus, as well as that of its affiliate, Barnard College.
Protestors outside Columbia University in Manhattan April 22, 2024. Protestors gathered on the streets near the campus after school officials closed the campus and made all classes remote. This came after hundreds of pro-Palestinian protestors took over large parts of the campus last week.
President Donald Trump announced earlier this week his intent to stop funding for colleges and schools that allow “illegal” protests. The move is one of many his administration have taken in scrutinizing institutions for how they responded to pro-Palestinian protests by students.
The multi-agency antisemitism task force said Friday that the canceled grants and contracts are the first step in reprimands for Columbia and that “additional cancellations are expected to follow.”
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump task force pulls $400 million in funds from Columbia University
