Judge tells Columbia not to give House GOP student data until after Tuesday hearing

A district judge said Thursday that Columbia University is not to give the House Education and Workforce Committee information it had requested about student disciplinary actions until after a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

The GOP-led House panel demanded data on recent activities on campus, including student-specific disciplinary information, as Republicans accuse the university of failing to shield students from antisemitism, the same accusation levied by the Trump administration as it withholds hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding from Columbia.

Detained activist Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia student, and others sued to block the school from handing over student records.

The Thursday ruling from Judge Arun Subramanian says it is not based on the merits of the case but to maintain the “status quo” until a hearing is held on the matter.

Khalil, a legal immigrant, sued after he was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He became a target due to his time as lead negotiator for Columbia’s pro-Palestinian encampment last spring.

“The records demanded by the Committee are not substantially related to antisemitism. Rather, the Committee has instrumentalized accusations of antisemitism to attack ideas it ideologically opposes. It traffics in anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic dog whistles to justify unjustifiable intrusions on First Amendment rights,” the lawsuit stated.

The ruling by Subramanian comes the same day Columbia has to decide if it will accept the federal government’s demands to change disciplinary actions and other university policies in order to begin talks to restore the $400 million in federal funding.

Columbia has become a top target of the Trump administration after protesters at the school served as the epicenter for the pro-Palestinian campus movement last spring that led to the arrest of more than 2,000 individuals across the country.

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), chair of the House Education Committee, said the information the committee wants from Columbia is “critical to its consideration of legislation on this issue.”

“Our Committee will continue its work to protect Jewish students and hold schools accountable for their failures to address rampant antisemitism on our college campuses,” he added.

Topics

Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia, House Education Committee over student records

Detained activist Mahmoud Khalil filed a lawsuit Thursday against Columbia University and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce to stop the school from giving student disciplinary ...
The Hill - Mar. 13
Ex-Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil hearing expected to focus on free speech

Former Columbia University student and pro-Palestinin activist Mahmoud Khalil’s hearing in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday is expected to focus on free speech. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ...
The Hill - Mar. 12
Columbia disciplines students for protests as activists seek to block school from sharing records

Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil and seven current students sued the school Thursday in a bid to block it from producing disciplinary records to a House committee as school officials ...
NBC News - Mar. 13
Columbia announces disciplinary action for students who took over campus building last spring

Columbia University announced disciplinary actions on Thursday for students who took over a campus building last year during pro-Palestinian protests, a move that comes as the Trump administration ...
The Hill - Mar. 13
Columbia protester's immigration arrest fuels debate ahead of court hearing

A judge has ruled that Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian from Syria with a U.S. green card, can remain in the country until his court hearing Wednesday. Khalil, a former student activist, is accused of ...
CBS News - Mar. 11
Columbia University student speaks about why she fled to Canada

The Columbia University PhD student who fled the country shortly after ICE agents came to her door last week is speaking out. CBS News correspondent Lilia Luciano has more.
CBS News - 2d
Judge halts effort to deport Columbia protest leader, sets Wednesday hearing

A federal judge on Monday scheduled a Wednesday court hearing for Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ...
The Hill - Mar. 10
DNC chair: Trump told students 'he doesn't give a damn about them' with move against Department of Education

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin said President Trump told students “he doesn't give a damn about them” with a recent move against the Department of Education. “Today, Donald ...
The Hill - 15h
Watch live: Pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil's lawyers speak following court hearing

Lawyers for arrested pro-Palestinian activist and former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil will give remarks following Wednesday's high-profile court hearing. Khalil, who has a ...
The Hill - Mar. 12