Trump Threatens to Imprison, Deport Foreign Students Over ‘Illegal’ Protests

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to cut federal funding for universities that allow what he termed ‘illegal’ protests and said he would prosecute and deport foreign students who participate in such activities.

Trump shared his position on the Truth Social platform, declaring that “all federal funding will STOP” for schools that permit illegal protests, adding that American students involved would be expelled. His announcement comes less than a year after widespread student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza occurred on U.S. college campuses, including at Columbia University in New York and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

However, Trump did not clarify what exactly would be deemed an illegal protest.

Under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment, the right to protest is generally protected, and Trump’s statement raised concerns regarding potential overreach. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (Fire) condemned the move, arguing that while colleges should respond to unlawful conduct, the president does not have the authority to revoke federal funding for colleges, even for those that allow protests deemed illegal.

The organization further noted that such a policy would likely suppress student protests, particularly regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In a related move, the U.S. Department of Education, General Services Administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services announced a “comprehensive review” of Columbia University’s federal contracts as part of an ongoing investigation into compliance with Title VI, a law prohibiting discrimination based on ethnicity or ancestry. The review will also look into $51.4 million in contracts and over $5 billion in grants to the university.

Linda McMahon, the new U.S. Secretary of Education, stated, “Americans have watched in horror for more than a year now, as Jewish students have been assaulted and harassed on elite university campuses – repeatedly overrun by antisemitic students and agitators.” She added that protests and unlawful demonstrations have disrupted campus operations, depriving Jewish students of their learning opportunities.

In January, Trump signed an Executive Order that sought the removal of foreign students involved in protests and directed government departments to monitor and potentially remove foreign students and staff engaged in such activities.

The Executive Order emphasizes the need to “protect law and order” and address what Trump calls “pro-Hamas vandalism and intimidation” while investigating anti-Jewish racism in certain university settings. This week, a federal task force also announced plans to visit ten U.S. universities that have seen anti-Semitic incidents.