The federal government canceled $400 million in grants to Columbia University amid its antisemitism probe into the school, the Justice Department’s Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced Friday.
The cancelation is due to the university’s “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students,” the DOJ, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education and the U.S. General Services Administration said in a joint statement.
A university spokesperson said Columbia was seeking to reverse the decision.
“We are reviewing the announcement from the federal agencies and pledge to work with the federal government to restore Columbia’s federal funding,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“We take Columbia’s legal obligations seriously and understand how serious this announcement is and are committed to combatting antisemitism and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff.”
The departments said additional cancelations are likely to follow. The school has some $5 billion in federal grant commitments, according to the agencies.
“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,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.
“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,” she added.
The decision comes after Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia University, saw arrests and injuries when pro-Palestinian protesters stormed a campus building.
Columbia has been a consistent target of Republicans since students at the university began the nationwide pro-Palestinian encampments that occurred last spring, occupying a central swath of campus for weeks last summer.
The funding cut for Columbia follows threats earlier in Trump’s term to stop grants to schools over antisemitism or diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
