 The Trump administration announced on Friday that they're canceling $400 million in grants and contracts to Columbia University for failing to turn their campus into a safe space for Jewish students.
They also threatened that potentially $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia could be canceled in the future if more is not done to "combat anti-Semitism."
Robert Kennedy's Health and Human Services, which declared "anti-Semitism" a public health crisis earlier this week, made the announcement in a statement on their website:
DOJ, HHS, ED, and GSA Announce Initial Cancelation of Grants and Contracts to Columbia University Worth $400 Million
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | March 7, 2025
Members of the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism take swift action to protect Jewish students in response to inaction by Columbia University
WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Education (ED), and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the immediate cancellation of approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University due to the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students. These cancellations represent the first round of action and additional cancellations are expected to follow. The Task Force is continuing to review and coordinate across federal agencies to identify additional cancellations that could be made swiftly. DOJ, HHS, ED, and GSA are taking this action as members of the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism. Columbia University currently holds more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments.
On March 3rd, the Task Force notified the Acting President of Columbia University that it would conduct a comprehensive review of the university’s federal contracts and grants in light of ongoing investigations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Chaos and anti-Semitic harassment have continued on and near campus in the days since. Columbia has not responded to the Task Force.
“Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses – only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding. For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus. Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer.”
President Trump has been clear that any college or university that allows illegal protests and repeatedly fails to protect students from anti-Semitic harassment on campus will be subject to the loss of federal funding.
“Freezing the funds is one of the tools we are using to respond to this spike in anti-Semitism. This is only the beginning,” said Leo Terrell, Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights and head of the DOJ Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism. “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.”
The decisive action by the DOJ, HHS, ED, and GSA to cancel Columbia’s grants and contracts serves as a notice to every school and university that receives federal dollars that this Administration will use all the tools at its disposal to protect Jewish students and end anti-Semitism on college campuses.
“Anti-Semitism is clearly inconsistent with the fundamental values that should inform liberal education,” said Sean Keveney, HHS Acting General Counsel and Task Force member. “Columbia University’s complacency is unacceptable.”
GSA will assist HHS and ED in issuing stop-work orders on grants and contracts that Columbia holds with those agencies. These stop-work orders will immediately freeze the university’s access to these funds. Additionally, GSA will be assisting all agencies in issuing stop work orders and terminations for contracts held by Columbia University.
“Doing business with the Federal Government is a privilege,” said Josh Gruenbaum, FAS Commissioner and Task Force member. “Columbia University, through their continued and shameful inaction to stop radical protestors from taking over buildings on campus and lack of response to the safety issues for Jewish students, and for that matter - all students - are not upholding the ideals of this Administration or the American people. Columbia cannot expect to retain the privilege of receiving federal taxpayer dollars if they will not fulfill their civil rights responsibilities to protect Jewish students from harassment and anti-Semitism.”
For more information, read the HHS, ED, and GSA joint press release from Monday, March 3rd. [Emphasis added] We can only be so fortunate that they're openly announcing all these special privileges are reserved just for one race, one religion and one foreign country.
That will make it all the easier for a judge to throw this out for violating the Equal Protections Clause in addition to the First Amendment.
The Trump administration is trying to exploit Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to frame criticism of Jews and Israel as a form of "discriminatory" hate speech that threatens Jewish students' safety.
As I reported in January, a US District Judge threw out and mocked a "disingenuous" discrimination lawsuit against Haverford College from a Jewish lawfare group seeking to silence criticism of Israel on college campuses on the same grounds.
Contrary to the Trump administration's claims, Columbia is actively complying with their threats and attacking their students' free speech rights to keep the federal funds flowing:
From AP, "Facing Trump's threats, Columbia investigates students critical of Israel":
Columbia University senior Maryam Alwan was visiting family in Jordan over winter break when she received an email from the school accusing her of discriminatory harassment. Her supposed top offense: writing an op-ed in the student newspaper calling for divestment from Israel.
The probe is part of a flurry of recent cases brought by a new university disciplinary committee — the Office of Institutional Equity — against Columbia students who have expressed criticism of Israel, according to records shared with The Associated Press.
In recent weeks, it has sent notices to dozens of students for activities ranging from sharing social media posts in support of Palestinian people to joining “unauthorized” protests.
One student activist is under investigation for putting up stickers off campus that mimicked “Wanted” posters, bearing the likenesses of university trustees. Another, the president of a campus literary club, faces sanction for co-hosting an art exhibition in a private building that focused on last spring’s occupation of a campus building.
In Alwan’s case, investigators said the unsigned op-ed in the Columbia Spectator, which also urged the school to curtail academic ties to Israel, may have subjected other students to “unwelcome conduct” based on their religion, national origin or military service. They promised a thorough investigation, with sanctions ranging from a simple warning to expulsion.
“It just felt so dystopian to have something go through rigorous edits, only to be labeled discriminatory because it’s about Palestine,” said Alwan, a Palestinian-American comparative studies major. “It made me not want to write or say anything on the subject anymore.” As a reminder, Trump ran on "ending the weaponization of the federal government" and even signed an executive order on it shortly after taking office.
He also signed an executive order on "restoring free speech and ending federal censorship."
Nonetheless, his administration is now explicitly weaponizing the federal government to silence criticism of Jews and Israel.
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