Trump Vows To Strip Federal Funding From Colleges ‘That Allow Illegal Protests’

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday morning that his administration would stop all federal funding for schools and universities “that allow illegal protests” on their campuses.

Trump announced the policy in a post on Truth Social as some anti-Israel protests have again popped up on New York City campuses, such as Barnard College and Columbia University. The president added that any foreign “agitators” taking part in the protests could be deported while American citizens would face expulsion or arrest.

“All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests. Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came,” he wrote. “American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

On Monday, the Trump administration threatened to pull more than $50 million in government contracts with Columbia University and announced that it would review more than $5 billion worth of grants connected to the university to ensure that Jewish students’ rights are being protected.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, who was confirmed by the Senate on Monday, said in a statement, “Unlawful encampments and demonstrations have completely paralyzed day-to-day campus operations, depriving Jewish students of learning opportunities to which they are entitled.”

In a statement on Monday night, Columbia said it would work with the White House to fight any anti-Semitism on its campus.

“Columbia is fully committed to combatting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and we are resolute that calling for, promoting, or glorifying violence or terror has no place at our University,” the school stated.

Last week, protesters at Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia, took over a building on campus, chanting “From the river to the sea.” Barnard gave the students a 9:30 p.m. deadline last Wednesday to leave the building, or the administration would “consider additional, necessary measures to protect our campus.” At least three Barnard students were reportedly expelled for their involvement in the anti-Israel protest.

In late January, anti-Israel protesters at Columbia poured cement into toilets in a campus building. The leftist activists reportedly detailed their plans beforehand on social media, saying they wanted to interfere with “business-as-usual,” the Washington Free Beacon reported. The group behind the vandalism reportedly trained agitators on destructive tactics.

Columbia was rocked by large anti-Israel protests in the spring of 2024 as the war between Israel and Hamas continued. The activists set up an encampment on Columbia’s campus as they called on the administration to divest from Israel. The university administration attempted to negotiate with the protesters, but that failed, leading to dozens of students illegally occupying Hamilton Hall. University leaders then called on the NYPD to conduct a raid and end the occupation.

Other anti-Israel protests broke out at colleges across the country between the fall of 2023 and the spring of 2024. Leaders at colleges such as Columbia, the University of California Los Angeles, and the University of Pennsylvania were blasted for their response. Four Ivy League presidents, including Columbia President Minouche Shafik and Harvard President Claudine Gay, resigned after facing criticism from the American public and Congress for their handling of the anti-Israel protests.