Dive Brief:
- The Trump administration is reviewing Columbia University’s federal grants and contracts because of allegations that the Ivy League institution hasn’t done enough to protect Jewish students from antisemitism, according to a Monday announcement from three federal agencies
- The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism — which President Donald Trump created via executive order — plans to review over $5 billion in grants committed to Columbia to ensure the university is complying with federal civil rights laws and other requirements. The task force is also mulling issuing stop-work orders to Columbia for federal contracts worth $51.4 million.
- The review marks the group’s first major move in what is likely to become a larger probe into how colleges have handled campus unrest — one that could threaten billions in federal funding at Columbia and elsewhere.
Dive Insight:
Columbia is far from the only university facing federal scrutiny from the task force, which the U.S. Department of Justice formed in early February. The group — which is initially focused on eliminating antisemitism on college campuses — also includes members from the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies.
Late last week, the task force said it would visit 10 college campuses, including Columbia, to investigate allegations that they have failed to protect Jewish students from discrimination.
The 10 — all wealthy and well-known institutions — includes Harvard University, New York University and the University of Southern California.
The task force’s review of Columbia’s grants and contracts was sparked by its “ongoing inaction in the face of relentless harassment of Jewish students,” according to a Monday announcement from the Education Department, Health and Human Services Department and U.S. General Services Administration.
The university said in a statement Monday that it is reviewing the announcement.
“Columbia is fully committed to combatting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and we are resolute that calling for, promoting, or glorifying violence or terror has no place at our University,” it said. “We look forward to ongoing work with the new federal administration to fight antisemitism.”
The institution’s New York campus became the epicenter of the pro-Palestinian protests that rocked colleges last spring when students erected an encampment on the university’s lawn in April, sparking similar demonstrations nationwide.
In a 325-page report last year, Republican lawmakers accused Columbia and 10 other high-profile universities of making “shocking concessions” to the protesters while failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitism.
In a statement Monday, newly installed U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon echoed those concerns.
“Unlawful encampments and demonstrations have completely paralyzed day-to-day campus operations, depriving Jewish students of learning opportunities to which they are entitled,” McMahon said.
Following the wave of campus protests during spring 2024, many colleges tightened their protest rules in the fall. Since then, colleges haven’t seen large-scale encampments, though protesters at Columbia and elsewhere have staged sit-ins and other demonstrations.
McMahon warned that large swaths of Columbia’s federal funding are on the line.
“Institutions that receive federal funds have a responsibility to protect all students from discrimination,” McMahon said. “Columbia’s apparent failure to uphold their end of this basic agreement raises very serious questions about the institution’s fitness to continue doing business with the United States government.”
In a Truth Social post Tuesday, Trump amped up the threats to colleges’ federal funding over campus unrest.
“All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests,” Trump said. “Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came.”
The president also threatened participating American students with expulsion or arrest.
