Columbia University is in the middle of a controversy with the administration of Donald Trump, who demands a series of changes for the institution to restore $400 million in federal funds. The White House claims that the university has been a site of complaints of antisemitism due to pro-Palestinian protests that have taken place on the New York campus following Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023.
Ben Chang, spokesperson for Columbia University's Office of Public Affairs, stated that the students who occupied the building in a protest face expulsion and that the consequences of continuing such actions will be clear. The administration's response focuses on the actions of the protesters and not on their cause.
Among the Trump administration's demands to fund Columbia again is the prohibition of the use of masks across the campus, the adoption of a specific definition of antisemitism, among other measures. The university is at a crossroads, as it must decide whether to comply with federal mandates to regain funding or challenge the government's directives, which could significantly impact its administrative autonomy and campus climate.
Recently, federal agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist and former Columbia student, generating criticism for considering the arrest as an act with political motivations that violates Khalil's constitutional rights protected by the First Amendment.
In April 2024, a group of pro-Palestinian students forcibly took over Hamilton Hall of the university and vandalized it. The institution made it clear that academic work cannot be interrupted by protesters who violate the rules.
