White House hails funding cuts for Columbia University
The Trump administration has cancelled about $400m in federal funding to the New York-based Columbia University over student protests last year that denounced Israel’s war on Gaza. The announcement was made in a joint statement by the US Department of Justice, the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the General Services Administration.
The White House has also commented on the move now.
In a post on X that featured a photo of Trump with the words “Shalom Columbia”, the White House said the decision was made over the university’s “failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment”.
US rights group slams Columbia funding cuts as ‘unconstitutional’
The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) says the Trump administration’s decision to cancel $400m in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University is unlawful.
“This move is the latest escalation by the Trump administration to coerce colleges and universities into censoring student speech and advocacy that isn’t MAGA approved, like criticising Israel or supporting Palestinian rights,” NYCLU executive director Donna Lieberman said in a statement.
“It is unconstitutional and unprecedented, but it is entirely consistent with Trump’s long-held desire to silence views with which he disagrees and clamp down on protest,” she said.
Liberman added that the Trump administration was misusing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act – which allows the government to investigate schools that receive federal funding if they are accused of discrimination – to punish political speech.
“Protected political speech should not be a basis of punishment, and Title VI must be applied consistently with the First Amendment,” she said.
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