The Trump administration has announced it has cancelled grants and contracts worth around $400 million with Columbia University, citing how the university has “waived” its obligation to “comply with all federal differentiation laws” in order to receive federal funds.
in press release The US Administration-General Services Agency (GSA), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Education (DOE), and the GSA have said that the $400 million federal grants and contract cancellations were due to the school being “did not act in the face of a sustained Harry's Jewish student.”
“Since October 7th, Jewish students have faced merciless violence, intimidation and anti-Semitic harassment on campus. Anyone who is supposed to protect them will be ignored,” the secretary of the Ministry of Education explained in a statement. “Universities must comply with all federal prevention laws when they receive federal funds. For a long time, Columbia has waived that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus.”
In the spring of 2024, an anti-Israel camp was established on the lawns of Columbia University. Several students were suspended and hundreds more protesters were arrested for involvement in the camp, but a second camp remained until the end of April, when the New York Police Department raided the camp.
Other camps were established to support Columbia University camps at Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), George Washington University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The press release pointed out:
The decisive action by the DOJ, HHS, ED and GSA to cancel Colombian grants and contracts serves as a notice to all schools and universities that this administration will freely use all tools to protect Jewish students and end anti-Semitism on university campuses.
“The GSA will help HHS and EDs issue suspension orders regarding grants and contracts that Colombia holds with those agencies,” the press release added. “These suspension orders will immediately freeze access to these funds for the university.”
“Anti-Semitism clearly contradicts the fundamental values that should inform liberal education,” HHS's acting advisor Sean Quebeney said in a statement.
As previously reported by Joel Pollak of Breitbart News, President Donald Trump signed in January that he “requires that all enforcement agencies identify ongoing actions against anti-Semitism and that actions that can be taken within 60 days.”
The executive order also “instructs certain institutions to promote universities and universities to monitor the activities of “alien students and staff” involved in anti-Semitic protests.”
