Columbia University has been at the center of controversy over the past week, following its announcement of disciplinary actions against students who occupied a campus building during pro-Palestinian protests last spring. According to Reuters, the university has imposed a range of punishments, including multi-year suspensions, temporary degree revocations, and expulsions. However, citing legal privacy restrictions, Columbia did not disclose the names of the disciplined students or the exact number of individuals affected. The students have the option to appeal these decisions.
The university’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, defended the administration’s stance, stating that the concerns raised were legitimate and that the institution was collaborating with the government to address them. Campus demonstrations, along with pro-Israel counter-protests, have intensified debates on antisemitism, Islamophobia, and racism within the university, reports Reuters.
The university said in a statement on Thursday that its “judicial board determined findings and issued sanctions to students ranging from multi-year suspensions, temporary degree revocations, and expulsions related to the occupation of Hamilton Hall last spring,” reports Reuters.
In a related development, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, was arrested by U.S. immigration agents at his university residence on March 8. Khalil, a U.S. permanent resident (green card holder), was actively involved in pro-Palestinian protests. Reuters reports that his arrest is part of former President Donald Trump’s broader crackdown on anti-Israel activists, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights organizations. Advocacy groups have condemned the detention, calling it an attack on protected political speech.
Khalil’s case is among the first instances of the Trump administration’s efforts to deport foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which the government has classified as antisemitic.
In a separate but related decision, the Trump administration announced the immediate withdrawal of $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, citing the university’s alleged failure to combat antisemitism. A joint statement from four federal agencies, as reported by the BBC, accused Columbia of displaying “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”
Meanwhile, tensions have escalated at Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia University, where four students were arrested last week for causing a “disruption.” The students have since been suspended and banned from campus.
With ongoing disciplinary actions, high-profile arrests, and federal funding cuts, Columbia University finds itself at the intersection of free speech debates, student activism, and political intervention, amplifying tensions on campus.