Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, speaking at the Justice Department, said it was all part of the president’s “mission to end antisemitism in this country.”

According to the sources, it was part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on individuals it has described as espousing the views of Hamas.

The Ivy League university has faced intense scrutiny from the Trump administration over its handling of pro-Palestinian student protests in 2024.

The Trump administration has delivered an extraordinary ultimatum to Columbia University, threatening to permanently end federal funding to the school unless it cedes control of an international studies department and implements sweeping changes to other policies.

The Trump administration has delivered an extraordinary ultimatum to Columbia University, threatening to permanently end federal funding to the school unless it cedes control of an international studi