Quds News Network

Washington (Quds News Network)- Columbia University has agreed to several demands from the Trump administration after $400m in federal funding was pulled over accusations of failing to fight antisemitism on campus. The Trump administration gave the university a list of nine demands that were required before it would reconsider the $400m in funding. On March 7, the administration announced that it’s pulling $400 million from the university, canceling grants and contracts because of what the government claims as the Ivy League school’s failure to squelch antisemitism on campus. A federal task force notified the Ivy League institution that it would conduct “a comprehensive review” of the university’s federal contracts and grants as part of its ongoing investigations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Four government agencies including the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, and the US General Services Administration make up the “Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism”. The task force was set up in February following Trump’s executive order, “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism”, signed at the end of January. “Since October 7 [2023], 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 the press release. The statement warned that the cancellations represent the first round of action and additional cancellations are expected to follow. The Ivy League university has been accused of allowing antisemitism on its campuses after a series of pro-Palestine protests and encampments erupted last year that were sparked by Israel’s war on Gaza. After Columbia students held an encampment, universities across the country followed suit.

NEW letter to Columbia from Trump admin lists demands for “continued financial relationship” with the US government”:

—Suspend or expel students for Hamilton Hall protest
—“Time, place, and manner rules”
—Mask ban
—Address “anti-Zionist” discrimination
—Reform admissions
—MORE pic.twitter.com/djCc31Vq2Q
— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) March 14, 2025

The University has agreed to much of the demands, but the Trump administration is yet to respond and it is unclear if the funding will be restored. Columbia University reportedly said face masks used for the purpose of concealing identity are no longer allowed, and anyone involved in a protest must, when asked, present university identification. "Our response to the government agencies outlines the substantive work we've been doing over the last academic year to advance our mission, ensure uninterrupted academic activities, and make every student, faculty, and staff member safe and welcome on our campus," Interim President Katrina Armstrong told students in an email on Friday, the BBC reported. A change that will impact academics at Columbia is the shift in its Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies department. A new official will now lead that department. "In this role, the Senior Vice Provost will review the educational programs to ensure the educational offerings are comprehensive and balanced," the memo read. The university said the role will "conduct a thorough review of the portfolio of programs in regional areas across the University, starting immediately with the Middle East". The university will also review admission procedures to "ensure unbiased admission processes". It is not only Columbia that has faced funding cuts, the Trump administration has warned 60 universities that funding may be cancelled if allegations of antisemitism on campuses are not addressed. Trump’s decision to cut millions of dollars worth of funding to Columbia University came days after federal immigration agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate at Columbia, over his pro-Palestine activism. He acted as a negotiator with university officials during protests for Palestine in the spring of 2024. The Trump administration is seeking to deport him.

Columbia University Agrees to Trump Administration's Demands to Get its $400m Funding Back

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