Trump pulls $400 million from Columbia University over Gaza protests
Published 7 March 2025
The Trump administration is immediately pulling $400m (£310m) worth of federal funding from Columbia University, saying it failed to fight antisemitism on campus.
A statement issued by four federal agencies said the funding cut was due to "continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students".
The New York university was the epicentre of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses last year against war in Gaza and US support for Israel.
Earlier this week, President Trump had threatened to pull funding from schools and universities that allow "illegal protests".
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in the statement that Jewish students on campus who had been the victims of "relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses" were "ignored" by university authorities.
"Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer," she said.
A spokesman for Columbia told the BBC that the university is reviewing the announcement, and pledged to work with the government to restore its federal funding.
"We take Columbia's legal obligations seriously and understand how serious this announcement is and are committed to combating antisemitism and ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff," she said.
Columbia is one of the most prestigious universities in the US and has about 30,000 students. Its famous Morningside Heights campus is on the west side of Manhattan.
Last year, the Ivy League university saw some of the largest and tensest campus demonstrations in the US as students protested against Israel's military operation in Gaza.
The Israeli military launched its campaign against Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack into Israel on 7 October 2023, which left about 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military action, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, although independent research has indicated that number could be higher.
A ceasefire deal was reached in January but looks increasingly fragile after the first phase expired recently.
The pro-Palestinian protesters on the Columbia campus - many wearing traditional keffiyeh scarves to cover their faces - chanted a variety of slogans such as "Free Palestine" while banging on drums and marching.
In April, they took over a building on campus known as Hamilton Hall, renaming it 'Hind's Hall' - in honour of five-year-old Hind Rajab who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in January 2024.
The protests led to the resignation of Columbia University President Minouche Shafik in August, making her the third president of an Ivy League university to resign over their handling of Gaza war protests.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators continued protesting at Columbia recently.
On Friday, the university confirmed that four students were arrested for a "disruption" Wednesday at Barnard College - a separate institution affiliated to Columbia - adding they had been "suspended and restricted from campus".