Columbia University has agreed to a series of new policies demanded by the Trump administration as it seeks to restore hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding that was halted over the school's handling of pro-Palestine campus protests.
The changes include a sweeping overhaul of the school's campus protest policies, as well as a new review of Columbia's Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department, the Center for Palestine Studies and the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies, among others, according to a memo published on the university's website on Friday.
It also agreed to ban masks that are being worn "for the purpose of concealing one's identity," and is now prohibiting protests inside university buildings. Three-dozen university police officers will be given authority to arrest or remove individuals from campus "when appropriate."
Katrina Armstrong, Columbia's interim president, said the memo sent to government agencies outlining her new restrictions, policies and reviews "outlines the substantive work we've been doing over the last academic year to advance our mission, ensure uninterrupted academic activities, and make every student, faculty, and staff member safe and welcome on our campus."
"In the spirit of great American universities, we expect Columbians to engage in robust debate and discussion about our way forward, and we welcome it as an opportunity to shape the future of Columbia," she said in a statement. "At all times, we are guided by our values, putting academic freedom, free expression, open inquiry, and respect for all at the fore of every decision we make."
TRT Global - Mahmoud Khalil says his arrest is a testament to the power of students in shifting the public opinion towards the liberation of Palestine.
Trump's crackdown on students
Columbia was a flashpoint in protests that began in 2024 and ran through the school year as students demanded an end to Israel's war on the besieged Gaza, and for their institutions to divest from the country.
The student-led demonstrations at Columbia quickly became a model for scholars on campuses nationwide as student encampments spread rapidly.
President Donald Trump on March 7 cancelled $400 million in federal grants and contracts for Columbia for its handling of the anti-war demonstrations, which the administration has claimed are inherently antisemitic — charges steadfastly rejected by protesters and organisers.
Columbia's move also comes as the university faced pressure from protests that accused the university of playing a role in the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent Palestinian activist who led the student protests last Spring.
Trump hailed the arrest of Khalil and claimed it was the "first of many", while protesters demanded his release and said his arrest violated his right to free speech.
A few days after Khalil's arrest, Trump's claim came due after another pro-Palestine student, Badar Khan Suri, an Indian researcher at Georgetown University, was arrested. His attorney said he was arrested because of the Palestinian identity of his wife.
The Ivy League university's response to Trump's pressure is being watched by other universities that the administration has sanctioned as it advances its policy objectives.
The administration has warned at least 60 other universities of possible action over alleged failure to comply with federal civil rights laws related to alleged antisemitism.
Although Islamophobic and anti-Arab incidents took place during the Student Spring, those incidents were never addressed.
