Trump task force targets antisemitism on university campuses; Columbia and Harvard among those facing funding cuts

Ten universities are under scrutiny as a new task force has been unleashed to crack down on the unprecedented displays of antisemitism that have plagued American campuses since Oct. 7, 2023. 

The universities, including Colombia and Harvard, could face massive cuts in federal funding, if found to be allowing “illegal protests,” U.S. President Donald Trump declared on his Truth Social media platform.

The Department of Justice said the task force will meet with university officials, students, staff and local law enforcement to determine “whether remedial action is warranted.”

In the “comprehensive review,” it will be determined whether the $5 billion given to Columbia University in federal grant commitments should be halted, given the school’s “ongoing inaction in the face of relentless harassment of Jewish students," according to the Jewish Chronicle.

A joint statement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Education (ED), and the General Services Administration (GSA) announced the plan on Monday, specifying that the federal government’s new Task Force to Combat Antisemitism is considering halting $51.4 million worth in contracts with Columbia University.

Last year Columbia received $1.3 billion in government grants, according to a financial overview for its fiscal year 2024.

While Columbia has been the site of some of the most extreme scenes of antisemitism, it is by no means the only educational institution beleaguered by pro-terror group protests.

“All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests. Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came,” Trump posted.

He warned that while foreign students could expect to have their visas revoked, American students will be permanently expelled or arrested, “depending on the crime.” He finished the post: “NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

In response, Columbia University, which has seen some of the more extreme protests and instances of antisemitism, issued a statement on Monday saying they were “reviewing the communication” from the federal agencies. 

“Columbia is fully committed to combatting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and we are resolute that calling for, promoting, or glorifying violence or terror has no place at our University. We look forward to ongoing work with the new federal administration to fight antisemitism, and we will continue to make all efforts to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff.”

According to The Times of Israel, the Columbia University announcement came after anti-Israel protesters last week invaded a campus building at Barnard College, which is an affiliate of Columbia, resulting in a university employee being injured. The debacle followed the recent expulsion of some students after they disrupted an Israeli professor’s class.

Laura Ann Rosenbury, president of Barnard College, said the disruption of the Israeli professor’s class was a “calculated act of intimidation,” and that protesters have “exploited the conflict in the Middle East to try to tear our campus community – our Barnard home – apart.” She reported that the protesters caused $30,000 in damages, but have been identified for the most part despite wearing masks.

Linda McMahon, the new secretary of Education, has made it clear that such intimidation and hatred on campuses must come to an end.

On the day she was sworn into office, McMahon said, “Americans have watched in horror for more than a year now, as Jewish students have been assaulted and harassed on elite university campuses – repeatedly overrun by antisemitic students and agitators,” adding, “Unlawful encampments and demonstrations have completely paralyzed day-to-day campus operations, depriving Jewish students of learning opportunities to which they are entitled.”

She continued: “Institutions that receive federal funds have a responsibility to protect all students from discrimination. Columbia’s apparent failure to uphold their end of this basic agreement raises very serious questions about the institution’s fitness to continue doing business with the United States government.”