Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that his officials are evaluating whether any of the anti-Israel protesters who invaded a Columbia University building that day should see their temporary visas revoked.
Columbia said it was “dealing with a disruption” in the Butler Library on Wednesday as videos online showed protesters leading chants, standing on furniture and vandalizing the facility with messages such as “Columbia will burn.” Rubio said in an X post that the State Department is “reviewing the visa status of the trespassers and vandals” after New York police reportedly made 80 arrests at the campus.
“Pro-Hamas thugs are no longer welcome in our great nation,” Rubio said in the post.
“The Trump Administration is focused and committed to protecting our nation and our citizens,” a State Department spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “We are upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process.”
The spokesperson said the department had “nothing further to add” to Rubio’s comment.
“It is completely unacceptable that some individuals are choosing to disrupt academic activities as our students are studying and preparing for final exams,” Columbia said as the protest commenced. The school later called in New York police to disperse the mob.
Two Columbia security officers were injured “during a crowd surge when individuals attempted to force their way into the building,” the university said, calling the behavior “outrageous.” Students on the outside were unable to enter the library, with one posting a video showing a crowd of masked individuals blocking his path and calling him “a fucking Zionist.”
Columbia’s media team did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
“Columbia strongly condemns violence on our campus, antisemitism and all forms of hate and discrimination, some of which we witnessed today,” Columbia Acting President Claire Shipman said Wednesday.
President Donald Trump’s administration has heavily scrutinized Columbia over alleged antisemitism stemming from anti-Israel protesters who continue to interfere with day-to-day campus operations. The administration stripped federal funds from the Ivy League in March over its response to protesters supporting Hamas terrorists and occupying buildings, including those who led a violent tent encampment in April 2024. The administration has also revoked more than 1,000 foreign students’ visas, often over their alleged anti-Israel or pro-terrorist views.
However, Trump’s new antisemitism task force praised the Ivy League school for how it handled the latest chaotic episode.
“The Task Force is encouraged by Acting President Shipman’s strong and resolute statement regarding the unlawful, violent and disgraceful takeover of Butler library yesterday,” the task force said in a Thursday press release. “She has stepped in to lead Columbia at a critical juncture and has met the moment with fortitude and conviction.”
“The Task Force is confident that Columbia will take the appropriate disciplinary actions for those involved in this act,” the press release says.
Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), the anti-Israel group behind Wednesday’s protest, had its own praises to give to those who attended what it called a “jail support” event nearby.
“Thank you to the dozens of people who showed up and stayed overnight in love and solidarity for our arrested comrades,” CUAD said in a Thursday X post.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a comment from the State Department.
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