Columbia University, once revered as a bastion of free expression and academic rigor, has come under intense scrutiny this week after confirming it has issued disciplinary sanctions—including suspensions, expulsions, and even degree revocations—against more than 70 students involved in pro-Palestinian protests.

The sanctions follow a months-long internal investigation by Columbia’s Judicial Board into demonstrations that unfolded on May 7 at Butler Library, the school’s largest academic building, and another protest on campus the previous year. The crackdown coincides with Columbia’s reported efforts to strike a deal with the Trump administration to restore federal funding, which had been stripped earlier this year amid allegations of antisemitism on campus.

According to sources familiar with the matter, approximately 80% of the disciplined students received the harshest penalties—multi-year suspensions, expulsion, or retroactive revocation of academic degrees. Many of the suspensions are for two years or more.

While the university declined to comment on individual cases, it defended its sweeping disciplinary action in a public statement Tuesday:

“Disruptions to academic activities are in violation of University policies and Rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences.”

But critics argue that Columbia’s decision was less about protecting academic integrity and more about political appeasement. The Trump administration applauded the university’s actions within hours of the announcement.

“Holding these students accountable was a demand of President Trump and his entire administration, and this action is encouraging and a step in the right direction,” said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields in a statement shared with CNN on Wednesday.

The comments confirmed what many suspected: Columbia’s disciplinary actions were executed in the context of ongoing high-stakes negotiations with the federal government. According to multiple sources familiar with those talks, the university is close to finalizing a deal with the Trump administration that would restore millions of dollars in federal funding in exchange for a settlement and sweeping internal changes.

Last week, Columbia officials reportedly met with White House representatives in a bid to finalize the agreement. While no official details of the deal have been made public, the timing of the mass student punishments is drawing sharp criticism.

“This isn’t about campus order—it’s about political obedience,” said Afaf Nasher, Executive Director of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY). “The students sat in unity to urge ending complicity in an active genocide. Columbia, seemingly bowing to political pressure from the Trump administration, has done more than undermine free speech and higher education. The university has sold its morality, academic integrity, and commitment to students.”

The disciplinary wave is part of a broader federal push from the Trump administration to pressure elite universities—including Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania—to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and to suppress what Trump officials have called “anti-American radicalism.” But civil liberties groups warn that the Columbia episode is a dangerous escalation.

“Revoking degrees and expelling students over peaceful protest should alarm every American,” said Shirin Banerji, a legal analyst with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. “This isn’t just a policy dispute—it’s a message: dissent will be punished, especially when it interferes with political deals.”

While Columbia’s official statements emphasize the need to protect its “academic mission,” critics say the university is doing the exact opposite by weaponizing its disciplinary system against its own student body.

In a stark reminder of the stakes, several students have reportedly had their degrees revoked retroactively—just weeks after graduation. Others have been banned from campus for years, their academic records tarnished permanently.

The university’s defenders argue that rules must be enforced, especially when protests disrupt academic life. But for the students who now find themselves branded as enemies of the institution they once called home, the message is devastating.

“We showed up to stand for human rights, and Columbia showed us the cost of that,” said one expelled student, who asked not to be named due to fear of retaliation. “Apparently, their funding matters more than our futures.”

As Columbia inches closer to regaining federal funding, many are left asking: At what cost?