Justice Department investigates Columbia University amid growing deportation crackdown
PBS NewsHour2 days ago
DOJ Launches Terror Probe into Columbia Pro-Palestine Protests
Above: Hundreds of pro-Palestinian students demonstrated on Friday, March 14, 2025, at Columbia University in New York City, New York. Image copyright: Selcuk Acar/Contributor/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Facts
The US Justice Department announced Friday an investigation into potential terrorism law violations during pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche framing it as part of a fight against antisemitism.
Federal agents reportedly conducted searches of two Columbia dormitory rooms on Thursday regarding allegations that the university harbored unauthorized immigrants, though no arrests were made or items seized. Students alleged federal agents had the university under surveillance.
The Trump administration suspended $400M in federal funding to Columbia University last week, demanding policy changes, including implementing a formal definition of antisemitism and placing certain academic departments under "academic receivership."
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Columbia University is actively combating antisemitism through new policies and a dedicated equity office, acknowledging the issue while balancing free speech. However, Trump's broad crackdown — deporting Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder with no criminal evidence, and cutting $400M in funding — overextends the fight, targeting lawful protest and academic freedom rather than genuine threats, chilling campus discourse.
Republican narrative
Columbia University's efforts to curb antisemitism are feeble, overshadowed by decades of so-called elite campuses fostering unethical, illegal practices — such as overcharging grants, pushing diversity over merit, and tolerating violent antisemitism after Oct. 7. Trump's crackdown, deporting lawbreakers like Mahmoud Khalil, and cutting federal funding rightly targets this hubris. Far from overreach, it's a necessary reckoning for universities that have been unaccountable.
Cynical narrative
Trump's crackdown on free speech reflects Christian Zionism, a modern pseudo-Christian philosophy that actually goes against the teachings of the Bible. If he wanted to represent Western Christian values, he would condemn Israel for committing genocide — just as he has denounced Hamas' barbaric crimes — and promote, not tear down, Americans protesting these atrocities.