Columbia University agrees to address antisemitism following $400 million in federal cuts by Trump admin

An Ivy League university says it will address charges of antisemitism in the classroom and on campus after the Trump administration revoked $400 million in grants and contracts.

In a joint statement on Dec. 7, the U.S. Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Education, and General Services Administration announced the massive funding cuts to New York City’s Columbia University, “due to the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students. These cancellations represent the first round of action and additional cancellations are expected to follow.”

The four-department task force is part of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump to combat antisemitism at universities across the nation. “As part of the executive order, the Department of Education has launched investigations into five universities for tolerating ‘widespread antisemitic harassment’ in violation of Title VI,” the White House said following the president’s joint address to Congress.

In the days leading up to the announced cuts to Columbia, the task force announced that it would be doing a “comprehensive review” of more than $5 billion in federal grants earmarked for the university in light of ongoing concerns over possible violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act related to antisemitism on campus. 

In response to the $400 million cancellation, Columbia officials released a statement saying they are reviewing the announcement and pledged to work with federal agencies to restore the funding. “We take Columbia’s legal obligations seriously and understand how serious this announcement is and are committed to combating antisemitism and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff,” the statement said. 

Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, also released a statement complaining that the cuts would “immediately impact research and other critical functions,” but signaling her willingness to work with the Trump administration to address antisemitism at the university.  

“Columbia is taking the government’s action very seriously,” Armstrong said. “I want to assure the entire Columbia community that we are committed to working with the federal government to address their legitimate concerns. To that end, Columbia can, and will, continue to take serious action toward combatting antisemitism on our campus. This is our number one priority.” 

Following a visit to the Columbia campus Dec. 7, Linda McMahon, the Trump administration’s new Secretary of Education, recalled the days following the deadly Hamas terrorist attack on Israel as a milestone in the harassment of Jewish students.  

“Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and antisemitic harassment on their campuses – only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” recalled McMahon. “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. Today we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer.” 

Leo Terrell, head of the Justice Department’s Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, said that freezing Columbia’s funding is “one of the tools we are using to respond to this spike in anti-Semitism. This is only the beginning. Canceling these taxpayer funds is our strongest signal yet that the federal government is not going to be party to an educational institution like Columbia that does not protect Jewish students and staff.” 

In the days prior to the cancelation of Columbia’s funding, Trump took to Truth Social to warn that his administration would not tolerate antisemitism on America’s college campuses. “All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests,” Trump wrote. “Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested.” 

The post came days after pro-Palestinian protesters at Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia University, injured a Barnard employee as they tried to break into a college building. 

In January, Trump warned he could revoke visas and deport foreign students who join in anti-Israel protests: “To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice … we will find you, and we will deport you. I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before.” 

Over the weekend, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student, for alleged pro-Hamas activities, according to the Department of Homeland Security. A federal court is now considering a legal challenge of the arrest.