Columbia University Expels and Penalizes Students for Anti-Israel Protests Amid Federal Funding Battle

On Tuesday, July 23, 2025, Columbia University in New York announced that it has imposed a range of disciplinary actions—including expulsions and degree revocations—on students who participated in anti-Israel protests on campus.

According to a statement from the university, the disciplinary measures were directed at students who took part in a sit-in inside the university library in May 2025, as well as those involved in a graduate encampment protest held in Spring 2024. The punishments reportedly include academic probation, suspensions ranging from one to three years, degree withdrawal, and permanent expulsion.

A student group reported that nearly 80 students were affected by these actions, which come at a time when Columbia is engaged in sensitive negotiations with the Trump administration to reverse a decision that would cut $400 million in federal funding from the university.

Former President Donald Trump has mounted intense pressure campaigns on prestigious institutions like Columbia and Harvard, accusing them of failing to combat antisemitism during last year’s wave of campus protests against the Israeli war on Gaza. Trump’s administration claims the protests included “antisemitic rhetoric and actions,” and has used funding threats to enforce policy changes.

Columbia, which became a central hub for the anti-war student movement, has agreed to implement a series of political and policy reforms aimed at restoring federal support—an effort that has triggered significant backlash among students and faculty alike.

In contrast, Harvard University has resisted federal pressure and is currently challenging the proposed defunding in court, as the administration threatens billions of dollars in cuts.

In its statement Tuesday, Columbia said that the spring library sit-in by anti-Israel protesters disrupted access to essential academic services during the university’s examination period, affecting hundreds of other students.

The university emphasized that it does not release individual disciplinary outcomes, citing privacy policies.

In response, a coalition of anti-Israel student activists condemned the university’s actions.”We will not back down,” their statement read. “We remain committed to the struggle for Palestinian liberation.”

The disciplinary crackdown at Columbia University highlights a growing national confrontation between pro-Palestinian student activism and institutional efforts to preserve federal support under political pressure. As universities across the U.S. face scrutiny over their handling of Middle East-related protests, Columbia’s response may set a precedent for how academic institutions balance free expression, federal compliance, and student demands for justice.