Students Face Suspensions and Expulsions Following Hamilton Hall Occupation
Columbia University has disciplined multiple students who participated in last spring’s pro-Palestinian protests that culminated in the occupation of Hamilton Hall. The university announced Thursday that its Judicial Board imposed penalties ranging from multi-year suspensions to degree revocations and expulsions.
The disciplinary actions come as the Trump administration withdrew $400 million in federal funding from Columbia, claiming the university failed to adequately address antisemitism on campus. According to CBS News, dozens of students received sanctions through a campus-wide email notification.
“Columbia is committed to enforcing the University’s Rules and Policies and improving our disciplinary processes,” university officials stated. “The return of suspended students will be overseen by Columbia’s University Life Office.”
The Hamilton Hall takeover escalated from a tent encampment students established to protest the Gaza war. Demonstrators barricaded themselves inside the building last April, prompting Columbia administrators to request police intervention. Authorities arrested dozens of protesters, though no criminal charges followed.
This announcement coincides with the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born Columbia graduate and campus activist. Immigration authorities arrested Khalil on Saturday, and he remains in custody in Louisiana following a court hearing. His case has sparked debate about campus free speech rights and deportation procedures for permanent residents.
President Trump has repeatedly targeted pro-Palestinian activists, including Khalil, accusing them of supporting Hamas, which the US designates as a terrorist organization. The president has threatened to withdraw funding from institutions that permit what he terms “illegal protests” on their campuses.
