Trump Administration Targets Columbia University Over Pro-Palestinian Protests

Student arrests, funding cuts, and demands for academic oversight mark escalating federal actions against the Ivy League institution.

The Trump administration has arrested two foreign students linked to pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, citing visa violations and alleged ties to Hamas, though evidence remains unclear.
Columbia University faces a $400 million federal funding cut and demands to place its Middle Eastern Studies department under external receivership, with compliance deadlines set by the administration.
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a green-card holder and former Columbia student, has been detained under a rarely used immigration law, raising concerns about free speech violations.
Civil liberties groups and legal experts argue these actions represent an unconstitutional crackdown on political dissent and academic freedom, drawing comparisons to McCarthy-era tactics.
The administration has threatened further actions against universities nationwide, with Trump explicitly linking federal funding to compliance with his policies on campus protests and definitions of anti-Semitism.