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The federal government formally accused the university of violating civil rights law by failing to protect Jewish students.
May 23, 2025, 6:25 p.m. ET
In the latest act in its monthslong targeting of Columbia University, the Trump administration has formally accused the Ivy League institution of violating federal civil rights law by failing to protect Jewish students.
The move, announced late Thursday, came as the White House intensified its crackdown on colleges that refuse to follow its agenda. Hours before releasing its accusations against Columbia, the administration told Harvard that its ability to enroll international students was being suspended, a remarkable step that a federal judge blocked swiftly on Friday.
In the case of Columbia, where pro-Palestinian demonstrations against the war in Gaza ignited a national protest movement last year, the administration accused the university of breaching Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits the recipients of federal funds from engaging in discriminatory behavior.
The potential fallout remained unclear on Friday.
The administration, which previously suspended more than $400 million in research funding to Columbia, did not announce new penalties on Thursday. Earlier this month, administration officials praised the university’s acting president, Claire Shipman, for quelling a demonstration at the main library on the Morningside Heights campus in Manhattan.
Here’s what we know:
Columbia has already been accused of failings. How is this different?
The move on Thursday appeared to reflect the administration’s unusual approach to slashing federal funding to colleges.
Historically, such cancellations would follow a lengthy review process. But, legal experts said, the Trump administration has not always adhered to standard procedure, taking swift action against universities’ finances and sometimes notifying news outlets before campus leaders.
