Columbia University Caves to Trump; Pro-Palestinian Students Fume

What To Know

Trump previously demanded that Columbia implement changes by revoking control of an international studies department and implementing additional policy changes or permanently lose federal funding amounting to $400 million.

Interim Columbia University President Katrina Armstrong on Friday announced the university would adopt the changes, such as banning masks that conceal someone's identity and hiring 36 campus officers "who will have the ability to remove individuals from campus and/or arrest them when appropriate."

The university will also appoint a new senior vice provost to review "programs in regional areas across the University, starting immediately with the Middle East," according to the announcement.

"This past year has been one of enormous progress, where our community of thoughtful faculty, students, and stakeholders has shaped a principled and methodical approach to meeting the moment's challenges," Armstrong wrote in a statement issued on Friday afternoon.

"Our response to the government agencies outlines the substantive work we've been doing over the last academic year to advance our mission, ensure uninterrupted academic activities, and make every student, faculty, and staff member safe and welcome on our campus," she wrote, adding: "The way Columbia and Columbians have been portrayed is hard to reckon with. We have challenges, yes, but they do not define us."

The decision comes amid growing backlash against the Trump administration for the arrest and potential deportation of Columbia graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who played a major role in the campus protests against Israel last year. He and other students, using pseudonyms, sued to prevent the release of their disciplinary records to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.