Columbia University announced on Thursday that it expelled or suspended some of the students who occupied a campus building last year in protest of Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Ivy League school in New York City also said it had temporarily revoked the diplomas of some students involved in the protests who have since graduated but did not provide additional information.
The Context
Columbia’s announcement came amid widespread protests over the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a university graduate and pro-Palestinian activist, over the weekend.
Khalil was initially held in New Jersey but has since been moved to Louisiana.
What To Know
Columbia announced its decision in a campus-wide email sent on Thursday, according to The Associated Press.
The email came after the Trump administration stripped Columbia of more than $400 million in federal funding after what the government characterized as a failure to crack down on antisemitism on campus.
Yuki Iwamura/AP
The funding decision came days after President Donald Trump threatened any school or university that “allows illegal protests,” adding that “agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came.”
“American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” the president added.
What People Are Saying
Nihad Awad, the national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), previously told Newsweek: “Free speech is a cornerstone of democracy and academic freedom. So are acts of peaceful civil disobedience. The students of the past who protested the Vietnam War, segregation and apartheid South Africa were technically violating the law when they refused orders to disperse their protests, sit-ins, and marches, but we celebrate those students today.
“Today, we should celebrate and protect the students who have peacefully protested U.S. support for the Israeli government’s genocidal campaign of slaughter, destruction, ethnic cleansing, and starvation in Gaza.
“If President Trump wants students to stop protesting the genocide in Gaza, he should ensure that the genocide stops permanently. Otherwise, he should expect students to continue engaging in acts of peaceful protest and civil disobedience without fear of the federal government’s unconstitutional, enforceable threats to crack down on free speech.”
What Happens Next
Columbia said Friday that it would vehemently work to get the funding back.
“We take Columbia’s legal obligations seriously and understand how serious this announcement is and are committed to combatting antisemitism and ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff,” the university said.
Update 3/13/25 8:46 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
