Trump demands US campuses report foreign funds amid concern over anti-Israel influence
Executive order says funds can be revoked if schools fail to disclose sources, in latest salvo of White House’s crackdown on US colleges and universities
JTA — US President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued an executive order requiring American colleges and universities to report all foreign funding, apparently amid concern from Jewish and pro-Israel groups that countries such as Qatar and Iran were promoting anti-Israel discourse on campus.
Echoing the activist group’s call for greater reporting standards, Trump’s order requires colleges and universities to report all gifts and funds from foreign countries and says funds could be revoked from schools that fail to comply with reporting standards.
It is the latest salvo in a broad set of White House efforts cracking down on campuses — including freezing billions of dollars of funding and arresting some student activists.
Last month, the US House of Representatives advanced a bill that sought to lower the threshold for reporting gifts from most foreign countries from $250,000 to $50,000.
The House bill received support from pro-Israel lobby AIPAC and the Republican Jewish Coalition. Opponents, including umbrella groups for colleges and universities, say the legislation will inappropriately expand government monitoring of higher education and could hinder international collaboration.
Trump’s executive order cited a US Senate committee investigation into foreign funding that described the flow of gifts to American schools as a “black hole.”
“Undisclosed foreign funding raises serious concerns about potential foreign influence, national security risks and compromised academic integrity,” the order read.
US universities and colleges have seen a massive uptick in anti-Israel protests following the Hamas invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, sparking the Gaza war.
Qatar, which backs Hamas, has gifted American universities some $4.7 billion between 2001 and 2021, according to a 2022 study.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.