Columbia’s Handling of Antisemitism Triggers Trump Admin Review of $5B in Grants

The Trump administration’s multi-agency task force to combat antisemitism has launched an official review of Columbia University’s federal contracts and grants, citing the school’s “apparent failure” to safeguard Jewish students. The review will scrutinize over $5 billion in funding commitments and could freeze more than $51 million in active contracts.

The Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and the U.S. General Services Administration jointly announced the review, which follows the confirmation of Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

“Americans have watched in horror for more than a year now, as Jewish students have been assaulted and harassed on elite university campuses,” McMahon said in a statement. She criticized Columbia for allowing antisemitic demonstrations that have disrupted campus life and deprived Jewish students of their right to a safe learning environment.

Federal law mandates that institutions receiving government funds protect students from discrimination. Columbia’s apparent failure to uphold this standard raises “very serious questions about the institution’s fitness to continue doing business with the United States government,” McMahon stated.

The review comes amid escalating antisemitic incidents at Columbia. Last week, radical student groups stormed a Barnard College building, clashing with security and causing $30,000 in damages. In a prior incident, activists vandalized campus property by pouring cement into a building’s sewage system.

This is not the first time the federal task force has targeted Columbia. Last Friday, it announced planned visits to Columbia and nine other universities struggling to contain antisemitic harassment since Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.

In response, Columbia issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to combating antisemitism and all forms of discrimination. “We look forward to ongoing work with the new federal administration to fight antisemitism, and we will continue to make all efforts to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff,” the university said.

As federal scrutiny intensifies, the message is clear: universities that fail to protect Jewish students will face real consequences.

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