House Democrats urge Columbia to take decisive action against the encampment

A group of House Democrats is urging Columbia University’s board to take decisive action to end an “anti-Israel, anti-Jewish” encampment on the campus in New York City or face resignations.

Previously, calls for Columbia officials to resign had only come from GOP lawmakers, including House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who recently called for the resignation of Columbia President Minouche Shafik.

In a letter to the university’s board of trustees published by Axios on Monday, 21 House Democrats expressed their disappointment that Columbia University had not yet disbanded the unauthorized anti-Israel, anti-Jewish encampment on campus despite promises to do so.

The group, led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., called on Columbia to disband the encampment and ensure the safety and security of all students.

“If any Trustees refuse to do so, they should resign so that they can be replaced by individuals who will uphold the University’s legal obligations under Title VI,” the lawmakers added.

Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.

The letter was signed mostly by moderate and swing-district members, including 10 Jewish lawmakers, as noted by Axios; among them was Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the former House majority leader.

The encampment, which grew during a protest of Israel’s war efforts in Gaza, was established on April 17 while Columbia President Minouche Shafik was testifying to Congress about campus antisemitism.

The protests have raised accusations of antisemitism and safety concerns among Jewish students, leading to visits from several congressional delegations to the college to address the protesters.

Similar demonstrations have taken place across the country inspired by the protests.

According to Axios, Columbia officials are currently in negotiations with the encampment organizers, with talks reported as “ongoing” as of Saturday, although activists claim little progress is being made.

“After nearly a week of negotiations, it is now abundantly clear that the students and activists entrenched on campus are unwilling to enter into a reasonable agreement to disband,” the Democrats wrote in the letter.

Progressive lawmakers, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, have visited encampments to show support for the demonstrators, as noted by Axios.

This week, the House is scheduled to vote on at least one antisemitism measure that has sparked division among House Democrats, Axios reported.