Tue Mar 25 23:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Columbia University Caves to Trump Administration Demands Amid Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Activists
**New York, March 26, 2025** – Columbia University has bowed to pressure from the Trump administration, implementing sweeping changes in response to demands issued as a precondition for restoring $400 million in federal funding. The administration accused the university of failing to protect Jewish students. This decision follows a series of arrests and visa revocations targeting pro-Palestinian students and activists on campus.
The university’s capitulation includes banning certain masks on campus, significantly expanding campus security with the hiring of 36 special officers with arrest powers, and placing the Middle East, South Asian, and African studies department and the Center for Palestine Studies under the control of a senior vice-provost appointed by the university. Further “long-term structural reforms” are demanded but remain unspecified.
The actions come after the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia student, whose green card was revoked. His arrest, hailed by President Trump as “the first of many,” sparked outrage among Democrats and civil rights groups. The university also revoked the visa of Indian PhD scholar Ranjani Srinivasan and Palestinian student Leqaa Kordia, both reportedly connected to pro-Palestinian protests. Additionally, the university expelled Grant Miner, president of the student union, and issued disciplinary actions against 22 students involved in the occupation of Hamilton Hall in April 2024.
These actions, coupled with the Trump administration’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, have created a climate of fear on campus. The Columbia Journalism School faculty released a statement expressing deep concern about the threat to press freedom and the chilling effect on international students who fear attending classes or events. Former students also report feeling intimidated to speak openly about the situation. The campus itself has been transformed, with increased security measures restricting access even for alumni. Local residents have even filed a lawsuit over restricted access to a campus walkway.
Critics accuse Columbia of prioritizing federal funding over academic freedom and free speech, while supporters of the administration’s actions claim it is necessary to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish students and faculty. The long-term consequences of these events for student activism and universities nationwide remain to be seen.
First Piper 