Just after withdrawing hundreds of millions of dollars from Columbia University, the administration followed up with a strong warning.
On Monday, the Trump administration issued threats to 60 different colleges, making it clear that they might face action due to ongoing federal investigations into antisemitism happening on their campuses.
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These warnings became more direct recently, following the arrest of a protest leader and the decision to cancel funding for Columbia University.
The schools on the list cut across political leanings and locations. Ivy League institutions like Brown and Yale were included, along with large public schools like Arizona State University and the University of Tennessee. Smaller colleges, such as Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania with around 2,000 students, were also named.
Trump’s Position and Columbia’s Situation
During his campaign for re-election, President Trump leaned heavily on claims of antisemitism, using the issue to go after Democrats. Since entering office, he has kept his focus on it. Across many campuses, disagreements have continued over what should actually be considered antisemitism, especially with some Jewish protesters involved in demonstrations criticizing Israel.
Last week, Mr. Trump issued a warning that schools hosting what he called “illegal protests” might lose funding, although he did not clarify what activities would fall into that category.
A recent decision from his administration involved the cancellation of $400 million in federal support to Columbia University. The reason given was that the school failed to take action against ongoing harassment of Jewish students.
The administration did not confirm whether this move was tied to specific findings from three different investigations into religious bias that were initiated during the last stretch of President Biden’s term.
Instead of pointing to a detailed result from those probes, Trump’s newly created task force on antisemitism sent a notice to Columbia on March 3. This notice said that a full review of all federal contracts and grants tied to the school would begin. Four days later, the administration made the call to pull the funds.
Legal Moves and Deportation Attempt
The administration took things further by citing a little-known legal rule to arrest a protest leader who recently graduated from Columbia. That person now faces deportation efforts. However, a federal judge in Manhattan stepped in and blocked any immediate removal from the United States.
During a Senate hearing to confirm Linda McMahon as education secretary, Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana raised questions about how she planned to handle a long list of delayed antisemitism cases. Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, asked McMahon to explain her strategy.
Back then, McMahon responded that she was still learning about the issue and would need time to get familiar with the full picture. Four days after her confirmation, the Education Department announced that investigations related to antisemitism would now be handled with higher urgency.
Ongoing Investigations and Government Response
At the time Mr. Trump entered the White House, federal records showed that 40 of the 60 schools now listed already had active religious discrimination investigations underway. Nearly all those cases were opened within the previous 14 months.
A public database that tracks federal investigations involving colleges and universities has not been brought up to date since January, when Mr. Trump took office. A spokesperson from the Education Department said no further details were available aside from what was already published in their press release.
On Monday, McMahon gave a statement stressing that government funding for colleges is a benefit, not a right. She added that receiving such support comes with the responsibility of fully respecting laws that prevent discrimination.
McMahon expressed deep concern about the situation Jewish students are facing on some college campuses. She said it is upsetting that learners at highly regarded U.S. universities still feel unsafe due to constant antisemitic incidents that have disturbed campus activities for more than a year.
