Unions representing Columbia University professors, faculty and staff have sued the Trump administration for cutting $400 million in university funding, arguing the White House has violated the First Amendment while halting critical public health research.
President Donald Trump and other administration officials targeted Columbia, in New York City, because students there last spring and summer occupied buildings and common areas to protest Israel's retaliatory attacks on Gaza. The protests quickly spread nationally, and Trump officials have also been targeting student leaders.
The administration has also pushed the university to adopt new policies to protect Jewish students from antisemitism, including harsher penalties for student protesters. University officials acceded to those demands, which also include a review of admission policies and a ban on students wearing masks at protests.
In the newly filed lawsuit, American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers say the Trump cuts set a dangerous precedent. The suit argues the Trump cuts also violate Congress' power of the purse.
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