Just hours after over 100 masked individuals protesting against Israel forced their way into Columbia University’s Butler Library in New York City, bypassing campus security as students were studying for final exams, university officials called in the New York Police Department (NYPD) to help manage the situation.
At least 30 people have been arrested with more expected, NYPD sources told Fox News.
Additionally, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was observing the events, with plans to fingerprint any arrested individuals to check for non-citizen status, according to information obtained by Fox News.
“Time to make a point,” one ICE source told Fox News.
Non-protesting students told Fox News that they were forced to stop studying for finals and leave the library.
Columbia University emphasized its commitment to free expression and the right to protest but noted that these actions must align with university rules and policies to ensure safety and allow academic and other campus activities to proceed without disruption.
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik stepped down after months of criticism of her handling of the protests, many of which devolved into clashes between anti-Israel demonstrators and police, and antisemitism on campus.
Columbia has come under intense scrutiny over the rise in antisemitism on campus, with Trump canceling $400 million in grants to the university in March.
That led to Columbia caving to certain demands in an attempt to restore funding.
Tuesday’s protests came as Columbia announced that it may lay off 180 staff members following the Trump administration’s announcement in March that it had canceled $400 million in federal grants over the school’s “failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment.”
“Across the research portfolio we have had to make difficult choices and unfortunately, today, nearly 180 of our colleagues who have been working, in whole or in part, on impacted federal grants, will receive notices of non-renewal or termination,” Shipman said. “This represents about 20% of the individuals who are funded in some manner by the terminated grant.”
U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., chair of the House GOP, criticized Democrats calling for investigations into universities where anti-Israel protests have sprung up.
We don’t need to do an investigation. We know what the problem is,” she said. “They have laws and they don’t follow them. Columbia is a prime example of what happens when there are no consequences to one’s actions.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., praised Trump for withholding funds from the school amid a rise in antisemitism.
“While Columbia students try to study for finals, they’re being bombarded with chants for a “global intifada,” she wrote on X. “President @realDonaldTrump is right: not a single taxpayer dollar should go to a university that allows chaos, antisemitism, and civil rights violations on its campus. Columbia must act—enough is enough.”
Fox News’ Sandy Ibrahim and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
