US slashes $400 million in grants to Columbia University over antisemitism allegations

The US government, under President Donald Trump's administration, announced the cancellation of $400 million in grants and contracts to Columbia University due to allegations of antisemitic harassment on and near the institution's New York City campus.

The decision was revealed in a joint statement from the US Department of Justice, the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the General Services Administration on March 7, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

While the university receives significant federal funding for healthcare and scientific research, the government did not specify which particular grants and contracts would be impacted. These cuts come from over $5 billion in grants currently allocated to Columbia.

The move is expected to face legal challenges, with civil rights groups claiming it violates due process and could be considered unconstitutional, as it punishes protected speech. Columbia has been at the heart of a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel student protest movement that has been prevalent on campuses in the past year. Some protests have included actions such as seizing an academic building and setting up tent encampments on campus lawns, with demands for the university to divest from companies supporting Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian territories.

The protests have been marked by accusations of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and racism, both from the pro-Palestinian activists and pro-Israel counter-protesters. However, the student group Columbia University Apartheid Divest, which leads the pro-Palestinian protests, includes Jewish students among its organizers and has denied any antisemitic intent.

Leo Terrell, head of the Justice Department's antisemitism task force, stated, “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.”

In response, Columbia University emphasized its commitment to fighting antisemitism and other forms of prejudice on campus, while also defending its actions against accusations of infringing on academic freedom. Over the past year, the university has disciplined numerous pro-Palestinian students and staff, issuing suspensions and calling in police to arrest protesters. These actions have sparked criticism from faculty members who believe the university is stifling free speech.

A Columbia spokesperson, Samantha Slater, expressed the university’s intent to collaborate with the federal government to restore its funding. She stated, “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 wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff.”

However, Slater did not clarify which specific grants and contracts were affected, and the government departments involved did not provide further details.

The Civil Rights Act's Title VI allows the government to investigate schools receiving federal funds if they are accused of discriminating based on religion or national origin. The New York Civil Liberties Union criticized the cancellation as an unconstitutional misuse of the law to punish political speech.

NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman stated, “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. Protected political speech should not be a basis of punishment, and Title VI must be applied consistently with the First Amendment.”

By Tamilla Hasanova