The Trump administration has revoked $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University, citing allegations of antisemitic harassment on and around the school’s Manhattan campus, officials announced Friday.
The decision was detailed in a joint statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, and the General Services Administration.
Columbia, which receives billions in federal funding for healthcare and scientific research, was not informed which specific grants or contracts were affected. The cuts are part of over $5 billion in government-funded programs currently allocated to the university, the statement said.
The move is expected to face legal challenges, with civil rights organizations arguing that it lacks due process and may constitute an unconstitutional penalty for protected speech.
Columbia has been a focal point for pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel student demonstrations over the past year. In April, student activists briefly occupied an academic building and set up protest encampments on campus, demanding the university divest from companies linked to Israel’s military presence in Palestinian territories.
The protests have led to accusations of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and racism, with pro-Israel counterprotesters clashing with student activists. Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the coalition behind the demonstrations, includes Jewish student organizations and denies allegations of antisemitism. However, some Jewish and Israeli students have reported feeling intimidated by the protests.
“Cancelling these taxpayer funds is our strongest signal yet that the Federal Government is not going to be party to an educational institution like Columbia that does not protect Jewish students and staff,” said Leo Terrell, head of the Justice Department’s antisemitism task force.
Columbia has defended its handling of campus tensions, stating that it is committed to combating antisemitism while also upholding free speech. The university has taken disciplinary action against dozens of pro-Palestinian students and faculty, including suspensions and arrests, prompting criticism from civil rights groups and faculty members.
Samantha Slater, a Columbia spokesperson, confirmed that the university intends to cooperate with federal authorities to restore its funding.
“We take Columbia’s legal obligations seriously and understand the gravity of this announcement. We are committed to combating antisemitism and ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff,” she said.
Neither the university nor federal agencies have clarified which specific grants or contracts were revoked.
Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the federal government can investigate and penalize educational institutions receiving public funds if they are found to engage in discrimination based on religion or national origin.
The New York Civil Liberties Union criticized the funding cuts, calling them a politically motivated misuse of the law.
“It is unconstitutional and unprecedented, but it is entirely consistent with Trump’s long-held desire to silence views with which he disagrees and clamp down on protest,” said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman. “Protected political speech should not be a basis for punishment, and Title VI must be applied consistently with the First Amendment.”
