The Trump administration has issued a stunning ultimatum to Columbia University: fix your alleged civil rights violations—or lose your federal accreditation.

In a sharp escalation of the ongoing battle between the White House and elite academic institutions, Education Secretary Linda McMahon accused Columbia of “deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students” in the wake of violent pro-Palestinian campus activism. The administration now wants the Middle States Commission on Higher Education to revoke Columbia’s accreditation, effectively severing its access to all federal student aid programs.

“This is not only immoral, but also unlawful,” McMahon said in a blistering statement. “Accreditors have an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid.”

At the heart of the accusation is Columbia’s response—or lack thereof—to months of escalating hostility on campus following Hamas’ brutal October 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel that left more than 1,200 Israelis dead. As pro-Hamas demonstrators took to campuses across the country, Columbia became a flashpoint, with student protesters accused of harassment, vandalism, and threats directed at Jewish students.

Despite rising tensions and widespread reports of intimidation, the Trump administration claims Columbia’s leadership failed to act. That, the Department of Education argues, puts the university in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal funds.

The warning came just days after the administration slashed $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia over its handling of anti-Israel protests. The potential loss of accreditation would deal an even more catastrophic blow—stripping the university of eligibility for federal student loans, Pell Grants, and other aid programs.

“We look forward to the Commission keeping the Department fully informed of actions taken to ensure Columbia’s compliance,” said McMahon.

The move reflects a growing determination within the Trump administration to use federal leverage to combat anti-Semitism and hold powerful institutions accountable. And it’s not the first time Trump officials have invoked civil rights law to go after universities. In recent months, Education Department investigations have been launched at several campuses where Jewish students reported being harassed or silenced.

Critics on the left are likely to denounce the threat as political retribution or censorship. But Trump allies see it as a long-overdue reckoning for leftist institutions that they say have protected radical activism while turning a blind eye to violence and hate—particularly when it targets Jewish or conservative students.

“Columbia’s leaders acted with deliberate indifference,” McMahon said flatly. “That has consequences.”

Whether the accreditation threat materializes into formal action remains to be seen, but it’s already sending shockwaves through higher education. The federal government rarely moves to strip accreditation from major universities, and doing so could set a precedent for further accountability across academia.

What’s clear is this: the Trump administration is done asking nicely. And if Columbia thought it could weather the storm with apologies and task forces, it may have just learned what happens when federal power meets moral outrage.