Photo: Student protesters gather inside their encampment on the Columbia University campus, April 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, File)
The Trump administration on Friday announced it has canceled grants worth roughly $400 million for Columbia University, alleging the Ivy League school has not acted on allegations of anti-Semitism on campus amid student protests since the 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel.
The move was announced in a joint statement released by the Department of Justice, Department of Education, General Services Administration, and Department of Health and Human Services, which are part of the Trump administration’s “Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism.”
Contracts and federal grants worth $400 million were immediately canceled with the announcement, the agencies said, adding that it is “the first round of action and additional cancellations are expected to follow.” The school holds about $5 billion in federal grant commitments, they noted.
“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,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement, referring to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel that left 1,200 civilians dead.
“Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination 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,” she added.
After the Hamas attacks and a counter-offensive that was initiated by the Israeli military in Gaza, protests erupted at U.S. colleges, including Columbia’s New York City campuses. Last spring, protesters camped out on campus and at one point, took over a building.
In recent days, students occupied multiple buildings at Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia University, to protest the expulsion of two students accused of disrupting an Israeli history class. Several students were arrested following an hours-long takeover of a building Wednesday night.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump issued a statement on Truth Social warning that colleges that allow “illegal protests” could risk losing federal funding, although he provided few other details. He also said that foreign students who engaged in such activities could face deportation.
“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. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
This week, Columbia University issued a statement saying that it is “fully committed to combatting antisemitism” on its campus and is reviewing statements made by the Trump administration. The statement came before the joint announcement Friday.
“We look forward to ongoing work with the new federal administration to fight antisemitism, and we will continue to make all efforts to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff,” the school also said.
On Thursday, the school confirmed that four students were arrested at Barnard College as part of a disruption earlier in the week. They were suspended and restricted from campus activities, the school said, adding that “any violations of these will not be tolerated and will have consequences.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
1 thought on “Trump Administration Cancels Grants Worth $400 Million for Columbia University – The Epoch Times”
I recall an incident in Anaheim, California in the 1990’s. While I was eating in a “Jack-in-The Box” when I saw a van and a VW Micro bus pull in and 10-12 young men get out and head for the Anaheim Town Hall. I looked in the VW and saw anti capitalist and anti shell Oil signs inside. Walking over to Anaheim Town Hall I saw 40-50 people protesting illegal aliens in our city jail, many of them 60 plus senior citizens and the people from the van-VW bus attacking the senior citizens. And very little Anaheim Police presence.
I referred to the incident as “A Communist rent-A-mob” funded by the Soros “Tides Foundation”. Congressman Bob Dornan had approved INS agents placed in the jail and over a month 64% of all arrests were illegals who would be turned over to INS.
Sounds like the events of 2020 across America that were also funded by George Soros . And it continues with college campuses also paid up to $150 per day to protest Jews and promoting Arab-Palestinians . Hopefully the Trump Team will investigate thoroughly and demand freedom for all and stopping funding to high education that declines to stop radical- campus protests deemed violent by society.
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