US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut all federal funding for educational institutions that permit "illegal protests" on their campuses. In a strongly worded statement posted on Truth Social, Trump declared that "agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came" and American students participating in such protests would face permanent expulsion or arrest.
Trump's recent social media announcement emphasized his administration's zero-tolerance policy with an all-caps declaration: "NO MASKS!" Several weeks ago, the president has characterized campus protests as having unleashed an "unprecedented wave of vile antisemitic discrimination, vandalism, and violence against our citizens, especially in our schools and on our campuses."
Under President @realDonaldTrump, colleges and universities will be held accountable. Antisemitism and anti-Israel hate will not be tolerated on American campuses. Promises made, promises kept. @POTUS @realDonaldTrump @WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/h9nq1gVJRO
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) March 4, 2025
The president's tough stance has coincided with a noticeable decline in pro-Palestinian demonstrations across US college campuses.Israel Hayom recently spoke with Jewish students at Columbia University who reported that Trump's return to the White House has created what they describe as a more secure environment and increased their sense of personal safety, with a marked decrease in pro-Palestinian protesters' willingness to engage in extreme actions following Trump's inauguration in January. This shift represents a significant change from the intense protest activity that characterized many campuses during the previous semester.
"Today, students think twice before wearing Hamas headbands because they understand the consequences – arrest and deportation from the US. We don't want these people in our country anymore," Gideon Escovitz, a 22-year-old undergraduate at Hunter College in Manhattan, told Israel Hayom. Escovitz heads "Jewish Students for America," an organization focused on combating foreign funding in American educational institutions, primarily from China and Qatar.
Hunter College was previously described as an "epicenter of pro-Palestinian protests in New York," but the atmosphere has changed dramatically in recent months. "The protest momentum has diminished since last semester. Protesters have lost their drive, and wearing a keffiyeh while confronting local law enforcement is not trendy anymore," Escovitz explained to Israel Hayom.
Shortly after returning to office, Trump signed executive orders mandating the investigation and punishment of protest participants who violated laws. These orders specifically target supporters of Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization in the US. The administration also announced visa revocation measures for pro-Hamas students on campuses, directly affecting non-citizen students who have participated in demonstrations supporting the organization.
Shortly after the Trump post, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Education (ED), and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) unveiled a comprehensive "review of Columbia University's federal contracts and grants in light of ongoing investigations for potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act." In a statement, the three announced the following:
"Given Columbia's ongoing inaction in the face of relentless harassment of Jewish students, the Federal Government's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government. The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University to ensure the university is in compliance with federal regulations, including its civil rights responsibilities."
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said, according to the statement, that "antisemitism – like racism – is a spiritual and moral malady that sickens societies and kills people with lethalities comparable to history's most deadly plagues." He added, "In recent years, the censorship and false narratives of woke cancel culture have transformed our great universities into greenhouses for this deadly and virulent pestilence. Making America healthy means building communities of trust and mutual respect, based on speech freedom and open debate."
