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- By Imran Zafar
- Tue, 04 Mar 2025 09:02 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration would halt all federal funding for colleges, schools and universities that permit what he termed “illegal protests.” The declaration, made via Truth Social, follows growing tensions over campus demonstrations related to the Israel-Gaza conflict and concerns about anti-Semitism.
Trump warned that agitators would face imprisonment or deportation, while American students could be expelled or arrested, depending on the severity of their actions. “All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests,” Trump stated, adding that no masks would be allowed during demonstrations.
The announcement comes as the US government considers revoking over USD 50 million in federal contracts with Columbia University due to allegations that the institution failed to protect Jewish students during protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. The prestigious Ivy League school has been at the center of debates over campus safety and student rights.
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Trump’s latest move aligns with his previous threats to defund institutions over issues such as gender and race policies, transgender athletes in girls’ sports, and COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The former president has also vowed to eliminate the Department of Education and transfer curriculum control to individual states.
Last month, Trump established a task force to examine anti-Semitism in educational institutions, led by Education Secretary Linda McMahon. The team is currently reviewing federal grants to Columbia University to assess whether it has violated its obligations to ensure student safety. “Jewish students have been assaulted and harassed on elite university campuses for more than a year now,” McMahon said, underscoring the administration’s concerns.
