Between classes, when throngs of students stream into and out of Columbia University’s campus, the security lines can back up like a TSA checkpoint. There’s a switch-back path of metal fencing that leads into a white tent, where two sets of guards check and then swipe campus ID cards before letting students in and out.

Nearly 200 faculty, staff, and students gathered on the steps of Widener Library on Thursday afternoon to protest the arrest of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil and call for Harvard to deliver a more assertive rejoinder to President Donald Trump’s attacks on universities.

The Ivy League university has faced intense scrutiny from the Trump administration over its handling of pro-Palestinian student protests in 2024.

The Trump administration delivered an ultimatum to leaders of Columbia University: Make a series of major changes or lose out on billions in federal aid.