Trump Targets Columbia Univ.: Funding Cut over Antisemitism, Curriculum/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Trump administration has issued Columbia University an ultimatum: overhaul its admissions process and place its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department under federal control or risk losing government funding. The demand follows the administration’s recent $400 million funding freeze over alleged failures to combat antisemitism on campus. Columbia officials and faculty members have condemned the move, calling it an unprecedented attack on academic freedom.
Trump vs. Columbia University Quick Looks:
- Funding at Risk: Trump’s administration threatens to cut federal funding unless Columbia meets strict demands.
- Department Takeover: The Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department must enter “academic receivership” for five years.
- Admissions Overhaul: Columbia must reform undergraduate and graduate admissions and international recruiting.
- Federal Investigations: The move coincides with wider probes into DEI programs and alleged racial discrimination at U.S. universities.
- Faculty Outrage: Professors and free speech advocates denounce the demands as government overreach.
Trump Targets Columbia Univ.: Funding Cut over Antisemitism, Curriculum
Deep Look:
Columbia University has become the latest battleground in President Donald Trump’s escalating fight against what his administration calls “politicized and biased” higher education institutions. In a letter sent Thursday night, federal officials laid out strict conditions the Ivy League school must meet to continue receiving government funding, including a controversial demand that a university department be placed under federal oversight.
Trump’s Academic Ultimatum
The letter, signed by officials from the Department of Education, the General Services Administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services, outlined several non-negotiable conditions for Columbia:
- Place the Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department under academic receivership for at least five years.
- Ban masks on campus that conceal identities or “intimidate others.”
- Adopt a new definition of antisemitism, in line with federal policy.
- Abolish its current student discipline process and implement a new system aligned with federal guidelines.
- Revamp its admissions policies, including reforms to undergraduate admissions, international student recruitment, and graduate admissions.
The letter framed these changes as “preconditions” for Columbia to enter negotiations regarding its “financial relationship with the United States government.”
Federal Funding in Jeopardy
Last week, Trump’s administration froze $400 million in federal funds designated for Columbia, citing the school’s failure to curb antisemitism. An additional $5 billion in research grants is also under review. The funding cuts have already affected Columbia’s medical research programs, which rely heavily on National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants.
University officials have not publicly responded to the latest demands, but faculty members and free speech advocates have been quick to denounce the move as an assault on academic freedom.
“Half of this stuff you can’t just do, and the other half is insane,” said Joseph Howley, a professor of classics at Columbia. “If the federal government can show up and demand a university department be shut down or restructured, then we don’t have universities in this country.”
A Broader Crackdown on Higher Education
The Trump administration’s pressure on Columbia comes amid a wider federal crackdown on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs at universities across the country. On Friday, the Department of Education announced investigations into more than 50 colleges for alleged race-based discrimination in admissions and scholarships.
Simultaneously, federal immigration officials have increased enforcement efforts against international students. The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist at Columbia, has raised alarms among student groups. Khalil was detained in Louisiana this week, reportedly over his role in protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Adding to tensions, Columbia officials revealed that Homeland Security agents executed two search warrants on university housing Thursday evening. No additional arrests were made, but interim President Katrina Armstrong called the searches “heartbreaking.”
What’s Next for Columbia?
As Columbia faces mounting political and financial pressure, the university must decide whether to fight the federal government’s demands in court or attempt to negotiate a compromise.
If Trump’s administration follows through on its threats, Columbia could lose billions in funding, impacting research programs, financial aid, and faculty hiring. Meanwhile, legal battles over federal influence on academic institutions could set a precedent for government intervention in higher education nationwide.
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