The Trump administration is immediately pulling $400m of federal funding from Columbia University, saying it failed to fight antisemitism on campus.
A statement 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 college was the epicentre of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses in 2024.
President Trump had threatened to pull funding from schools and universities that allow “illegal protests”.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement that Jewish students on campus who had been the victims of “relentless violence, intimidation, and antisemitic 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 said 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.
