Trump demands ‘critical next steps’ from Columbia University to restore $400 million funding

Columbia University faces the critical decision of complying with the federal mandates to regain its funding or challenging the government’s directives

Columbia University must take a series of “critical next steps” if it wants to restore $400 million in federal funding, the Trump administration said in a letter to the school, according to The Free Press.

Student protesters gather inside their encampment on the Columbia University campus, April 29, 2024, in New York(AP File)

The White House ordered the cuts in federal grants and contracts to the Ivy League university earlier this month, citing antisemitism complaints by Jewish students, and it has put other schools on notice they could be next. The demands follow a series of pro-Palestinian protests that have roiled Columbia’s New York City campus since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

According to the letter, the mandates include instituting a campus-wide mask ban; adopting a specific definition of antisemitism; placing the Middle East, South Asian, and African Studies department under academic receivership for a minimum of five years; and overhauling international recruiting policies as well as undergraduate and graduate admissions.

Columbia didn’t respond to requests for comment outside of regular business hours.

The school now faces the critical decision of complying with the federal mandates to regain its funding or challenging the government’s directives, a choice that could significantly affect its administrative autonomy and campus climate in the years to come.

Federal agents also recently arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia alumnus, by federal agents. Khalil’s detention has been criticized by his legal team as a politically motivated act infringing upon his First Amendment rights.

A joint task force of federal agencies said it notified Columbia on March 3 of a comprehensive review of federal contracts and grants amid ongoing probes into the school under Title VI. The Education Department has received a number of civil rights complaints about Columbia, prompting investigations.

Columbia has also been sued at least three times since the 2023 Hamas attack by Jewish students claiming the school failed to keep students safe from antisemitic harassment. One of those suits was resolved last year after the school agreed to appoint a liaison to oversee safe passage around campus for students with safety concerns.