Turmoil at Columbia University as Trump admin demands changes : NPR

The Trump administration on Thursday provided an ultimatum to Columbia University leaders, unless the school applies strong control to the International Studies Department and making significant changes to the students’ discipline standards and other university policies.

In a letter obtained by NPR on March 13, The Federal Department of Education, the Federal Department of Education, Health and Human Services and General Services Administration, demanded that Colombia have been planned to make the Middle East, the South Asian, and African studies department under the “education receiver for at least five years”, March 20. The letter was subjected to an educational receiver, which is an unusual move that has an unusual move.

Representatives of the Department of Education, HHS and GSA did not answer NPR questions Regarding the demands of the letter.

A Columbia University spokesman told the NPR in an email that school officials were reviewing the letter. He added, “We are always determined to advance our mission, help our students, and to relieve all kinds of discrimination and hatred on our campuses.”

Leaders of Colombia’s Middle East, South Asian, and African Studies Department did not respond immediately to the request to comment.

This has been a tumultuous week in Colombia as it seems that the Trump administration has set up its eyes on the university. His administration has already canceled the school $ 400 million in federal grants and contracts, claiming that Colombia has failed to enmity at campus in the context of Palestinian pro -Palestinian protests in the spring. And high -level arrest of a former student involved in these protests continues Keep the school in the eyes of the public.

Columbia is not the only university that has recently been scrutinized by the Trump administration: 52 universities are now under investigation As part of the president’s efforts to relieve efforts to promote diversity, equality and involvement.

The dispute over federal funds in Colombia is the latest flashpoint in a year full of conflicts and conflicts at the University. Here is a randown on recent developments.

The Trump administration calls for a ban on mask and new discipline rules

Most of the riots in Colombia began in the spring last spring, when a Palestinian supporter hit the university -led campus, which led to the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas. Colombian students, on their behalf, camped in the school field and occupied a university building when they demanded university leaders to distribute it to Israeli -related companies. The then President Nimat Shafak retired in the summer after he was criticized for calling police to break the protest in the police. She was also inquired into the Congress hearings on the campus.

About a year later, the university faces a protest. In his recent letter, Trump administration officials claim Columbia “has failed primarily US students and teachers from anti -Steamic violence and harassment, in addition to the 1964 civil rights act titled VI and other alleged violations of the title VII.”

It continues, “US taxpayers make a lot of investment in US colleges and universities, including Columbia University, and it is the federal government’s responsibility to ensure that all recipients are responsible for federal funds.”

The letter also demands that Colombia expose a multi -year suspension for students who participated in demonstrations and camps in the spring last spring. Federal officials are calling for a new, formal anti -anti -counterism and the establishment of a policy. Reforms “to make undergraduate admissions, international blowing, and graduate admission methods” in accordance with federal law and policy “(though he did not say which laws or policy had not been explained). And granting columbia security officers “Full law enforcement authority.”

The letter states that the university will also have to ban masks on campuses, which aims to hide the wearer’s identity “or to threaten others”, with exceptions for religious and health reasons. It also says that Columbia must Check closely to groups of students who are “acting as components of unidentified groups engaged in university policy violations, or can provide them with support” and if they are in violation, justify these organizations.

Even after 400 million deductions last week, the government has said that Colombia has more than $ 5 billion in federal grants promises. The Associated Press is reported This is last week The deductions at the Medical Center in Colombia have already affected research studies, relying on the grant of national health institutions.

The Trump administration has termed the demonstrations, which are widespread, enmity. Columbia University’s colorful divisions, a coalition of student groups organizing student demonstrations, includes Jewish students and groups in its organizers and participants.

Jeremy Ben Amy, president of the Washington, DC -based Jewish and Israeli proletariat group, Jeremy Ben Amy, has termed the Trump administration’s “higher education in the principles of our democracy and against the existence of important institutions, programs and services in all areas of our society”.

Ben Amy said, taking this step, and justifying it as a protector of Jewish students, the Trump administration is misusing the real concerns about the growing hatred of Jewish Americans. In a press release.

“That is why Jewish Americans face abuse with the Trump administration, seeing the real fear of the growing hatred of the Americans, so that the important pillars of the Jewish experience, from civil rights to immigration and higher education, will be eliminated.”

New York’s citizen Liberties Union said students’ actions are “safe political speeches”.

When it is a matter of last week Funding deductions first announced, Donna Lieberman, executive director of this group Said in a statement“The move is the latest increase by the Trump administration to censor students’ speeches and advocacy for colleges and universities, which is not approved by mega -approved such as criticizing Israel or supporting Palestinian rights.”

A few days after the arrest of former student Mahmood Khalil, immigration agents called

On Thursday night, immigration agents of the Homeland Security Department searched two students in Columbia. They went away without arrest or without seizing any evidence, Gautmist, affiliated with the NPR, reported.

Colombia’s interim president Katrina Armstrong Written in a message to the school community Confirming that the officers served the university with two warrants to “enter non -public areas of the university and search for two students’ rooms.” “

He wrote, “Columbia is continuing to make every effort to ensure that our campuses, students, teachers and staff are safe.” “Columbia is determined to maintain the law, and we expect the city, state and federal agencies to do the same.”

It is unclear whether the search has been related to the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a supporter of Palestinian supporters, a graduate student at Columbia University, who was detained by immigration officials last week. Khalil, an American permanent resident of Syria, was detained by authorities in front of his pregnant wife in the university apartment and said he would be deported. The incident has ended the protest and legal war.

Khalil was one of the Colombian students who spoke on behalf of campus protesters who were pressing school last spring to withdraw from Israel from Israel.

President Trump has long criticized Palestinian supporters on college campuses. Within a few days of taking office, he signed a Executive Order The Department of Justice demanded that “Jewish racism be investigated and punished in the left, anti -American colleges and universities.”

The Trump administration has accused Khalil of attaching terrorist groups to Hamas’s leading “activities”. However, Khalil has not been accused of any crime.

Civil rights groups and lawyers representing Khalil have cursed the Trump administration for arrest.

“It is a clear attempt by President Trump to give an example of Mr Khalil and quietly disagreements across the country. It does not matter what your views about Israel and Palestine are, we should all be afraid of keeping a government imprisoned on his political opinion,” Brett Max, a senior, senior, senior staff, senior staff, senior staff, Said in a statement.