The Trump administration's sudden withdrawal of $400 million in federal funds from Columbia University has led to at least nine other campuses in favour of next campuses.
The school, a mix that includes both public universities and Ivy League institutions, is on the official management list of schools that the Justice Department said may have failed to protect Jewish students and faculty.
Teacher leaders at many schools have been strongly fighting back against the claim that the campus is a hotbed of anti-Semitism, and although some Jewish students felt unsafe, the majority of the protesters were peaceful and many of the protesters were Jewish in themselves.
The Trump administration has made higher education a priority. This week, the president threatened to punish schools that allow “illegal” protests in a social media post. On January 30th, his 10th day in office, he signed an executive order on the fight against anti-Semitism, focusing on what he called anti-Semitic racism at “left” universities. Then, on February 3, he announced the establishment of a multi-task force to carry out the mandate.
The task force appeared to move to action soon after a pro-Palestinian sit-in and protest at Bernard University, a partner school in Colombia.
It said it would pay the schools to visit, which is part of the review process to consider “whether corrective action is guaranteed.” It then announced on Friday that it would cancel millions on grants and contracts with Colombia.
Harvard University is also on the list, former president Claudine Gay, who resigned last year after a bruise occurred before a House committee.
So does George Washington University. Johns Hopkins University. New York University; Northwestern University; University of California, Los Angeles. University of California, Berkeley. University of Minnesota; University of Southern California.
The Trump administration is moving towards university funding and targeted schools over allegations that their acceptance of anti-Semitism has already led to internal readjustment in schools around the country. Some have stepped up lobbying, including hiring lobbyists with connections with Trump.
Many campuses were already cracking down on students over protests. There will be efforts to avoid the rage of Trump officials who have vowed to dial back or rename diversity-related efforts, and to end such programs.
The numbers then suspended employment and reduced the number of doctoral students recognized in response to financial uncertainty.
Some school officials say they are facing “existential threats.” Still, many presidents have been silent or muted in public statements about Trump's moves against the sector, appearing to be retreating in fear of a new administration.
In a statement Saturday, Harvard said “we are committed to ensuring that our Jewish community is accepted, respected and prosperous at Harvard University, and we can thrive in our efforts to confront anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred.”
A few days after Trump's inauguration, President Dr. Alan M. Gerber posted a message to a university where he was wotted alongside other administrative leaders.
“In these challenging times,” they write. Advocates open research, constructive dialogue and academic freedom. ”
Although selection criteria for placing them on the list for visits are vague, many schools were included in their reports last October by the House Committee on Education and the workforce.
The report criticized Harvard leaders, citing that they did not condemn Hamas' attacks on Israel in October 2023.
Northwestern and its president, Michael Sill, were also under attack by a House committee. It was then led by North Carolina Republican Representative Virginia Fox. The committee's report criticized the university for placing “radical anti-Israel faculty” in charge of negotiating with protesters.
The University of California, Berkeley was identified in a House report for not disciplining students who participated in or interrupted speeches by Israeli speakers.
“We are confident that the right process is being implemented right now to address the anti-Semitism incident,” Berkeley said on Saturday. The statement cited the advisory committee on which the Prime Minister formed on Jewish student life and anti-Semitism on campus.
Some schools focus on campus protests, while others are even more shocking.
Minnesota law professor Richard Painter was one of those who filed complaints about anti-Semitism at university. He was scuffed over an incident on campus, including an anti-Israel statement that Faculty posted on the official division website.
Still, the painter, a former White House ethics lawyer during the George W. Bush administration, thought the school was being targeted because he was represented by Congressional District Representative Ilhan Omar, who was a vocal critic for both Israel and Trump, and Ilhan Omar, the home town of Tim Waltz's government who ran on tickets with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Part of that is political,” he said in an interview Saturday.
University of Minnesota officials could not request comment, but efforts to address the complaint are already underway. The Regent Committee is scheduled to vote for the resolution next Friday. Prohibits individual departments from issuing political statements about the day's issues.
There is evidence to suggest that the administration's actions against Colombia were accelerated by a sit-in at Bernard last month, leading to additional protests last week. The protest was sparked by Bernard's decision to expel two students who had suspended Israeli classes.
On March 3, six days after the first Bernard disability, the government sent a notice to Colombia that it would consider $51 million in federal contracts, citing the harassment of Jewish students.
The next day, Trump issued a statement about the true social thing. “All federal funds will be suspended for universities, schools or universities that allow illegal protests.”
In a news release on Friday, Friday, the task force accused Columbia of failing to respond to previous notifications while Columbia continues on or near campus.
On Friday, Colombia said it is pledging to consider the administration's announcement and work with the government.
Also on Friday, the newly established Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon met with interim president of Colombia, Dr. Katrina Armstrong. McMahon issued a statement saying that schools must “comply with all federal anti-discrimination laws” in order for them to receive federal funds.
The task force list was released in late February amid a gust of executive orders from the White House.
Task Force members include Leo Terrell, a senior Department of Justice lawyer. Efforts to reach Terrell were not successful on Saturday. It was also unclear whether a campus visit was scheduled.
