Student pro-Palestine protest groups at Columbia University and Barnard College pledged over the weekend to continue their infamous demonstrations after President Donald Trump ordered the halt of $400 million in federal grants for embattled Columbia — and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained a Palestinian student involved in last spring’s encampment.
The Upper West Side educational institutions have received widespread criticism from Jewish students and community members for failing to curb what they have cited as rampant antisemitism with ongoing student protests that most recently culminated in a clash with police during a March 5 Barnard occupation.
In response to the ongoing unrest, the Trump administration announced on Friday that it had canceled $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University over what it deemed to be the school’s failure to curb antisemitism on campus. The loss of funding, and accusations of hatred, have seemingly not dissuaded protesters, with the students and alumni blasting Trump’s decision.
“The Trump Administration has frozen $400 million of funding for the university, without due process, in the name of ‘antisemitism,’” BarnardAlumni4Palestine wrote on their Instagram, alleging that it was a case of the right-wing president furthering his agenda to defund higher education.
The group went on to pledge to continue rallying at the college in lieu of both the funding cut and several explosions.
“We cannot allow the movement for Palestinian liberation to be used as a SCAPEGOAT, blamed for Columbia’s $400 million loss,” the group said. “The fight for Palestinian resistance must continue. The fight against authoritarian regimes … must continue.”
Fellow student protest collective “Columbia University Apartheid Divest” (CUAD) also railed against the White House’s decision to pull the funds, calling it a “scare tactic” and a plan to prevent them from receiving an education in order to be better informed.
“The Trump administration’s announcement that it plans to cancel $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia is a transparent scare tactic,” the protesters said in a statement. “This decision has nothing to do with the fabricated charges of antisemitism they are using as a thin cover to slash funding.”
Student demonstrator detained
Meanwhile, ICE detained Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, who allegedly served as a negotiator during the 2024 encampment protest. The Associated Press reported that he had been taken into custody on Saturday night at his university-owned apartment.
“Last night, agents from the Department of “Homeland Security” abducted Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist and recent Columbia University graduate, from his place of residence. He is currently being held in ICE detention,” Writers against the War on Gaza wrote on X.
According to sources with knowledge of the incident, while Khalil arrived in the country with a student visa he is now reportedly in possession of permanent residency status also known as Green Card. This detention raises questions about the constitutional protection of students with visas under the 1st and 14th Amendments.
For its part, Columbia University acknowledged that there had been reports “of ICE around campus,” but that it “has and will continue to follow the law.”
“Consistent with our longstanding practice and the practice of cities and institutions throughout the country, law enforcement must have a judicial warrant to enter non-public University areas, including University buildings. Columbia is committed to complying with all legal obligations and supporting our student body and campus community,” a Columbia University spokesperson said.
