Trump Administration Freezes More Than $2 Billion to Harvard After Rejecting Admin鈥檚 Demands
The Trump administration froze more than $2 billion to Harvard University on April 14 after University President Alan Garber announced the university is officially rejecting the Trump administration鈥檚 demands to retain nearly $9 billion in federal funding.
The administration had initially demanded that the university ban masks and rescind its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program; on April 11, the administration issued more demands, which included 鈥渁sking Harvard to derecognize pro-Palestine student groups, audit its academic programs for viewpoint diversity, and expel students involved in an altercation at a 2023 pro-Palestine protest on the Harvard Business School campus,鈥� according to . The administration also demanded that the university screen students in their admissions process to see if they support terrorism and antisemitism. Garber the new demands suggest 鈥渢hat the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner鈥� and that the demands violate the university鈥檚 鈥淔irst Amendment rights and exceeds the statutory limits of the government鈥檚 authority under Title VI [of the Civil Rights Act].鈥� Garber added that 鈥渨e do not take lightly our moral duty to fight antisemitism.鈥� The Trump administration鈥檚 Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism by saying that the university鈥檚 statement 鈥渞einforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges 鈥� that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws.鈥� The Task Force further announced that it would be freezing $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contract value from the university.
Judge Says Mahmoud Khalil Can Be Deported
An immigration judge ruled on April 11 that Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate, can in fact be deported.
Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Jamee Comans agreed with Secretary of State Marco Rubio鈥檚 memo that Khalil, a legal resident with a green card, could be deported under the government鈥檚 reasoning that his 鈥渂eliefs, statements or associations鈥� undermines the United States鈥� foreign policy interests and that Khalil participated 鈥渋n antisemitic protests and disruptive activities.鈥� Keeping him in the U.S. would 鈥渦ndermine U.S. policy to combat anti-Semitism around the world and in the United States, in addition to efforts to protect 91传媒 students from harassment and violence,鈥� . Khalil鈥檚 attorneys will be appealing the decision to the Board of Immigration Authorities and will in all likelihood be filing an asylum claim for him.
ICE Arrests Columbia Student
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Columbia University graduate philosophy student Mohsen Mahdawi on April 14 in Burlington, Vt.
According to , Mahdawi, a green card holder, was the co-president of the university鈥檚 Palestinian Student Union鈥撯�揳 coalition of anti-Israel groups on campus鈥撯�揳nd a member of the suspended Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. A senior State Department official that Mahdawi 鈥減layed an active role in fall 2024 student protests at Columbia University, instructing protesters to physically push a small group of pro-Israel students.鈥� The official also alleged that Mahdawi promulgated antisemitism at protests by calling Israel Defense Force soldiers terrorists and using a megaphone to yell “at 91传媒 bystanders and supporters of Israel,” per the Post.聽Mahdawi鈥檚 attorneys filed a habeas corpus petition contending that the Trump administration is engaging in 鈥渞etaliatory鈥� action over Mahdawi鈥檚 鈥渃onstitutionally protected speech.鈥� His attorneys also pointed to Mahdawi 鈥渟hame on the person who [called] for 鈥榙eath to Jews鈥欌�� during a Nov. 2023 protest as evidence that he is not antisemitic, The Columbia Daily Spectator.
12 Anti-Israel Protesters Charged with Vandalism, Trespassing After Occupying Stanford Building
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen charged twelve anti-Israel protesters with felony charges of vandalism and conspiracy to trespass on April 10 after the protesters occupied a building at Stanford University on June 5.
The building had the university president鈥檚 office in it; Rosen alleged that the twelve charged individuals, ages 19-32 and are current and former Stanford students, caused damage ranging from $360,000 to $1 million. He accused the protesters of breaking 鈥渨indows, furniture, disabled a camera and splashed fake blood,鈥� ABC7 91传媒 . 鈥淒issent is American, vandalism is criminal,鈥� Rosen said in a statement, adding that the 12 charged individuals 鈥渉ad been conspiring for days in advance to do this.鈥�
The university said in a statement, 鈥淎s we’ve maintained consistently, we believe the decision on how to proceed with these cases rests with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office based on the evidence gathered. We respect their decision in this matter. With regard to Stanford’s internal disciplinary proceedings, panels from the Office of Community Standards (OCS) found that students were responsible for violations of university policies and issued sanctions, including two-quarter suspensions followed by probation, delayed degree conferrals, and community service hours.鈥�
