Columbia University faces mandates to regain federal funding

Columbia University must take specific actions to restore $400 million in federal funding, according to a letter from the Trump administration. The funding cuts were made due to complaints of antisemitism following pro-Palestinian protests on campus. The university is required to implement a campus-wide mask ban, adopt a specific definition of antisemitism, and place certain academic departments under oversight for five years. Columbia now faces the choice of complying with these mandates or challenging them. Federal agents recently arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia alumnus, raising concerns about political motivations. The Education Department is investigating civil rights complaints against the university related to antisemitism.