Teachers Union Sues Trump Administration Over $400M Cuts to Columbia University

The Trump administration is facing legal heat from the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors over its decision to withhold $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, accuses the administration of unlawfully attempting to consolidate control over higher education.

In its filing, the lawsuit claims that the Trump administration is engaging in unprecedented efforts to undermine academic autonomy. "This action challenges the Trump administration’s unlawful and unprecedented effort to overpower a university’s academic autonomy and control the thought, association, scholarship, and expression of its faculty and students," it reads. The filing also alleges that the administration is leveraging federal funding as a means to control speech and expression on campus.

The controversy stems from the administration's demands for Columbia University to make sweeping policy changes, including banning the use of masks to conceal identity, empowering campus police with new arrest powers, and appointing a senior vice provost to oversee the Middle Eastern studies department and related centers. These demands were reportedly tied to the reinstatement of the withheld $400 million, although sources indicate that meeting these conditions does not guarantee the return of the funds—it merely opens the door to further negotiations.

The Ivy League institution reluctantly agreed to the changes, but the lawsuit argues that the federal funding cuts threaten the American university system’s standing as a global leader in research and innovation. The suit, filed in the Southern District of New York, demands that all grants and contracts to Columbia University be reinstated. It also seeks to prohibit the administration from implementing further funding cuts and requests damages for the plaintiffs.

Columbia University’s concessions have sparked significant debate. Critics argue that the administration’s tactics undermine academic freedom, while supporters claim they bring accountability to university policies. Regardless of which side you take, this case could set a precedent for how far the federal government can go in influencing higher education institutions.