What Columbia University Agreed To Do For $400m From Trump Administration

Columbia University has given in to the Trump administration's demands, agreeing to implement significant changes in exchange for the reinstatement of $400 million in federal funding. The university's decision comes after the government pulled its funding earlier this month, citing allegations of antisemitism on campus.

As part of the agreement, Columbia has agreed to ban face masks on campus, empower security officers to remove or arrest individuals, and place its Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies department under a new official. This move has been met with criticism from professors and academics, who worry that it sets a dangerous precedent for government control over academic institutions.

The Trump administration has been cracking down on universities, warning at least 60 institutions of possible action over alleged failure to comply with federal civil rights laws related to antisemitism. The administration has also targeted law firms that it claims have helped Trump's political opponents or prosecuted him unfairly.