President Donald Trump’s administration has revoked approximately $400 million in grants and contracts previously allocated to Columbia University.
In a statement, the Trump admin cited the institution’s alleged failure to uphold federal anti-discrimination laws required for receiving government funding.
A statement issued by the United States General Services Administration (GSA), along with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Education (DoE), confirmed that the decision was made due to the university’s inaction regarding persistent anti-Semitic harassment targeting Jewish students on campus.
In a statement, Secretary of the Department of Education Linda McMahon explained:
“Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses — only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them.
“Universities must comply with all federal anti-discrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding.
“For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus.”
In early 2024, an anti-Israel encampment was erected on Columbia University’s campus.
The pro-Hamas protests led to disciplinary action against several students.
In addition, hundreds of protesters were arrested.
Despite this, a second encampment was established and remained active until late April.
It was ultimately dismantled during a raid by the New York Police Department.
Similar protests and encampments emerged at other prestigious colleges, including Yale University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), George Washington University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, among others.
The schools were demonstrating in solidarity with the movement at Columbia.
According to the press release, the cancellation of Columbia’s funding serves as a warning to all federally funded institutions that the administration is committed to protecting Jewish students and combatting antisemitism on college campuses.
The press release noted:
“The decisive action by the DOJ, HHS, ED, and GSA to cancel Columbia’s grants and contracts serves as a notice to every school and university that receives federal dollars that this administration will use all the tools at its disposal to protect Jewish students and end anti-Semitism on college campuses.
“GSA will assist HHS and ED in issuing stop-work orders on grants and contracts that Columbia holds with those agencies,” the press release added.
“These stop-work orders will immediately freeze the university’s access to these funds.”
In a statement, Sean Keveney, the acting general counsel for the HHS, said:
“Anti-Semitism is clearly inconsistent with the fundamental values that should inform liberal education.”
Trump signed an executive order in January requiring “all executive agencies to identify ongoing actions against antisemitism, as well as actions that can be taken, within 60 days.”
The executive order also “directs certain agencies to push colleges and universities to monitor activities of ‘alien students and staff’ who are involved in antisemitic protests.”
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