The Trump Administration recently withdrew $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, causing concern among nine other schools that have been placed on an official list for allegedly failing to protect Jewish students and faculty. These schools include public universities and Ivy League institutions, with many faculty leaders strongly denying claims of rampant antisemitism on their campuses. The Department of Justice’s scrutiny of these schools comes as part of the administration’s broader focus on higher education, with President Trump threatening to punish schools that allow “illegal” protests. The administration has also announced the creation of a multiagency task force to combat antisemitism.
Following a pro-Palestinian protest at Barnard College, a partner school of Columbia, the administration released a list of 10 schools under scrutiny, including Harvard, George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University, and others. The government has vowed to conduct visits to these schools to consider potential remedial action, leading to the cancellation of millions in grants and contracts with Columbia. Universities across the country are now facing financial uncertainty and have been forced to adjust their policies and practices in response to the administration’s actions.
Several schools on the list, such as Harvard and Northwestern, had been criticized in a report by the House Committee on Education and the Work Force for allegedly tolerating antisemitic behavior. These schools and their leaders have faced scrutiny for their responses to various incidents involving Israel-related protests and activities on campus. Some officials have suggested that there may be political motivations behind the government’s targeting of certain schools, as in the case of the University of Minnesota, which sits in the district of Representative Ilhan Omar, a critic of Israel and President Trump.
The administration’s actions against Columbia, including the review of federal contracts and grants, were accelerated by recent protests at Barnard that followed the expulsion of two students who disrupted a class on Israel. President Trump has warned that federal funding will be stopped for any school that allows illegal protests, prompting fears among universities nationwide about potential repercussions. These developments come as part of a broader effort by the administration to combat antisemitism on college campuses and ensure that schools comply with federal anti-discrimination laws to receive funding.
The task force responsible for investigating claims of antisemitism on college campuses includes senior Justice Department lawyer Leo Terrell, though it is unclear if any campus visits have been scheduled as of yet. Schools like Columbia have pledged to work with the government to address concerns about antisemitism and discrimination, while also facing pressure to comply with federal regulations to maintain their funding. The impact of these recent actions by the Trump Administration on the higher education sector remains uncertain, as schools navigate financial challenges and political scrutiny in an increasingly contentious environment.
