In a move aimed at addressing antisemitism on college campuses, President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that his administration would withdraw federal funding from educational institutions that allow “illegal protests.” He also warned that individuals engaging in such demonstrations would face legal repercussions.
“All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests,” Trump stated in a Truth Social post. “Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came.” He added, “American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested.”
NEW: President Trump reveals funds will stop flowing to institutions allowing illegal protests. pic.twitter.com/BLJvsqopWt
— Resist the Mainstream (@ResisttheMS) March 4, 2025
Trump’s announcement comes amid what some describe as an increase in anti-Israel and pro-Hamas demonstrations at universities across the country. He underscored that protestors would not be allowed to hide their identities, saying, “NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
This warning follows action taken against Columbia University on Monday, where the administration threatened to pull over $50 million in federal contracts, citing the school’s alleged failure to curb anti-Israel demonstrations, according to The New York Post. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed that “Stop Work Orders” were being considered for $51.4 million in contracts, while a broader review of over $5 billion in federal grants was underway to assess whether Jewish students’ rights were being upheld.
Kennedy also addressed the growing concerns over antisemitism, calling it “a spiritual and moral malady that sickens societies and kills people with lethalities comparable to history’s most deadly plagues.” The administration has made combatting antisemitism on campuses a top priority. In January, Trump signed an Executive Order on Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism, directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take action against pro-Hamas graffiti, campus intimidation, and activists who violate U.S. laws.
Leo Terrell, Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights and head of the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, reaffirmed the administration’s stance, stressing that fighting antisemitism is a core responsibility. “Anti-Semitism in any environment is repugnant to this Nation’s ideals,” Terrell said, according to a press release last month. “The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found.”
“The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump’s renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools.”
Additionally, the DOJ has pledged to take legal action against campus activists accused of supporting Hamas and intimidating Jewish students. Federal hate crime charges are expected to be filed soon as part of an ongoing investigation, Resist the Mainstream reports.
“You see all these disorderly demonstrations, supporting Hamas and trying to intimidate Jews? We are going to put these people in jail—not for 24 hours, but for years,” Terrell stated in an interview last week with Israel’s Channel 12 News.
Since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, thousands of protests have erupted nationwide, with tens of thousands of students demonstrating against Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Many of these demonstrations have drawn criticism from conservative leaders, who argue that the Biden administration failed to protect Jewish students from harassment and threats before leaving office.