Trump administration’s crackdown forces Columbia University to expel pro-Palestinian students

One of the top academic institutions in the US, Columbia University, has succumbed to pressure from the Trump administration and imposed severe punishments on students for staging a protest at a campus hall during pro-Gaza rallies last year.

According to the international media, at least 22 students have faced expulsion, suspension, or revocation of their degrees at Columbia University, which had become a key hub for the pro-Gaza student movement in the US.

Meanwhile, numerous students have received warnings from the administration, notifying them that their participation in pro-Palestine protests is under investigation by authorities.

In April 2024, several students occupied Hamilton Hall to highlight Israeli atrocities in Gaza, renaming it "Hind’s Hall" in memory of Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl killed in her car along with her family by Israeli forces.

Columbia University’s actions follow Trump’s directive to authorities to take sweeping and aggressive measures, claiming the protests created a hostile environment for Jewish students and fostered antisemitism.

The university is under immense pressure after the federal government revoked $400 million in funding on March 7, citing a "failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment."

Additionally, the institution has warned its students against posting anything related to Israel’s war on Gaza or Russia’s war on Ukraine on social media.

Across the US, around 60 universities have received warnings to sever ties with anti-Israel groups or risk losing federal funding. Authorities are actively tracking students who participated in pro-Gaza rallies, while activists and politicians in the US have criticised Trump’s stance.