A group of more than 20 House Democrats is calling on Columbia University officials to disband a pro-Palestinian student encampment on campus, joining calls from several GOP colleagues to stifle the protests.
In a letter sent to Columbia officials on Monday, 21 Democratic lawmakers expressed disappointment in the university’s inability to end the protests on campus that have stoked fear in some Jewish students, prompting some of them to leave altogether. The lawmakers cited promises from Columbia officials to disband the encampment, arguing they should resign if they are unable to.
“Those who violate the law cannot dictate the terms of the University’s ability to comply with that law. It is past time for the University to act decisively, disband the encampment, and ensure the safety and security of all of its students,” the letter states. “It is ultimately the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to act. If any Trustees are unwilling to do this, they should resign so that they can be replaced by individuals who will uphold the University’s legal obligations under Title VI.”
The letter was led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Dan Goldman (D-NY), and it was signed by at least 10 Jewish lawmakers.
The letter comes as the university faces questions about reining in the on-campus protests, particularly ahead of planned commencement and graduation ceremonies in the coming weeks. The encampment is located right next to the university’s commencement site, with ceremonies scheduled for May 15.
Columbia officials said they have been in talks with student organizers over the last week on how to move forward with complying with university rules, although President Minouche Shafik said they were “not able to come to an agreement.”
“Both sides in these discussions put forward robust and thoughtful offers and worked in good faith to reach common ground,” Shafik wrote in a statement on Monday. “We thank them all for their diligent work, long hours, and careful effort and wish they had reached a different outcome.”
However, Shafik maintained that the university “will not divest from Israel” despite calls from students to do so. University officials have also offered “to make investments” in health and education efforts in Gaza as well as support for displaced students.
A spokesperson for the university declined to comment on the letter.
The letter comes as a growing number of House Republicans have made similar calls to disband the pro-Palestinian protests, calling on Shafik to resign as president. The protests have garnered national attention, spreading to other college campuses such as Yale, Harvard, and George Washington University, among others.
Republicans have decried the protests due to antisemitic chants and signs being displayed at some of the protests. Lawmakers cited these instances in their letter, arguing the encampment “has been the breeding ground for antisemitic attacks on Jewish students, including hate speech, harassment, intimidation, and even threats of violence.”
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However, several student organizers have argued much of that behavior is unrelated to their demonstrations and has come from outside groups.
Still, the discussion is expected to be at the forefront of Congress’s attention this week as the House takes up a proposal to codify a Trump-era executive order that would direct the Education Department to treat antisemitism as a Civil Rights Act violation on college campuses. The bill could cause a rift among House Democrats as party members have argued over what constitutes antisemitic behavior.