By United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to cut federal funding to universities that permit what he described as ‘illegal’ protests, while also vowing to prosecute and deport foreign students who participate in such demonstrations.
Trump made the statement on his Truth Social platform, warning that “all federal funding will STOP” for any school that allows students to protest illegally. He added that American students involved in the protests would face expulsion.
The announcement comes amid ongoing tensions following widespread student demonstrations against Israel’s war in Gaza, which rocked campuses such as Columbia University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) less than a year ago.
However, Trump did not clarify what actions would qualify as ‘illegal protests,’ raising concerns about potential overreach.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) swiftly criticised the move, noting that the First Amendment protects the right to protest and stressing that the president does not have unilateral authority to withdraw federal funding based on campus demonstrations.
FIRE warned that Trump’s threat could have a chilling effect on student activism, particularly surrounding issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Separately, the US Department of Education, General Services Administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services have announced a “comprehensive review” of Columbia University’s federal contracts as part of an ongoing investigation into the school’s compliance with Title VI, a federal law prohibiting discrimination based on ethnicity or ancestry.
The agencies are reviewing over $5 billion in grants and considering halting work on contracts worth $51.4 million.
Trump’s new Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, defended the measures, stating that for over a year, Jewish students at elite universities have faced harassment and intimidation, with campus operations disrupted by unlawful protests.
“Jewish students have been deprived of the safe learning environment they are entitled to,” McMahon said, vowing to hold universities accountable for failing to prevent antisemitic incidents.
