Columbia University has reached a sweeping settlement with the Trump administration, agreeing to pay more than $220 million and overhaul its disciplinary system after a federal investigation found the Ivy League institution failed to protect Jewish students from harassment and antisemitic violence during last year’s pro-Hamas demonstrations.
The deal ends months of standoff between the university and federal agencies after the Trump administration cut off hundreds of millions in research funding, citing Columbia’s violations of Title IV protections. Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced in June that the school had “systematically failed” to rein in antisemitic harassment tied to campus protests following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Under the settlement, Columbia will pay $200 million over three years to restore its canceled federal research grants and an additional $21 million to resolve investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
“This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty,” acting University President Claire Shipman said in a statement.
BREAKING via AP
Columbia University has reached a deal with the Trump administration to pay more than $220 million to the federal government to restore federal research money that was canceled by the Trump administration, which accused the university of failing to squelch…
— Yashar Ali (@yashar) July 24, 2025
The federal probe was launched after months of chaos at the Manhattan campus. In spring 2024, protesters occupied Hamilton Hall, barricading themselves inside and blocking Jewish students from campus spaces. While Mayor Eric Adams ultimately authorized the NYPD to clear the occupation, few arrests led to meaningful prosecutions due to what critics described as a “hands-off” approach by Manhattan’s progressive prosecutors.
Among those identified as key figures in the unrest was Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian national now facing deportation proceedings over his alleged pro-terror ties.
While the Biden administration had largely avoided direct intervention, President Donald Trump’s administration quickly moved to strip funding and impose conditions for its restoration. Trump himself publicly condemned Columbia’s handling of the protests, framing it as emblematic of a broader crisis in higher education governance.
Crucially, the settlement requires Columbia to adopt new disciplinary protocols with enforceable penalties for harassment, violence, and campus occupations — a move federal officials say will deter future antisemitic incidents. Failure to comply could lead to renewed funding cuts.
The agreement is being viewed as a landmark case, signaling that the Trump administration intends to hold universities financially accountable for antisemitic activity and civil rights violations on campus.
