The Trump administration has launched a vicious assault on Brown University, threatening to strip away $510 million in vital grants as part of its ruthless campaign to punish schools that refuse to silence Palestinian voices and their supporters.

This escalation builds on Trump’s promise to choke federal funding to universities he falsely accuses of harboring antisemitism—claims rooted in his administration’s unwavering support for Israel’s brutal oppression of Palestinians.

Brown University officials said they’ve yet to receive official word of the freeze, though the school was among dozens warned last month of looming reprisals. Unlike other campuses where administrators unleashed force to crush protests against Israel’s relentless attacks on Palestinians last fall, Brown chose dialogue over violence when students pitched tents on the quad to demand justice. Trump has smeared these courageous students as antisemitic, baselessly linking them to Hamas and foreign threats, while wielding federal funds as a weapon to silence dissent and protect Israel’s war crimes.

In an email shared Thursday, Brown Provost Frank Doyle told campus leaders of “troubling rumors” about federal action targeting research grants, though no solid confirmation has emerged. “We are closely monitoring notifications related to grants, but have nothing more we can share as of now,” he said. Yet Brown’s leadership has long anticipated this Zionist-backed backlash. In a defiant public letter, President Christina H. Paxson condemned the administration’s overreach, warning of “unprecedented government demands” aimed at crushing free expression. “We would be compelled to vigorously exercise our legal rights to defend these freedoms,” she declared, vowing to uphold the right to protest, academic integrity, and support for international students—many of whom face persecution under Trump’s policies.

The administration’s war on universities has already struck hard. Columbia University, a beacon of pro-Palestinian resistance, lost $400 million in funding last month. Princeton reported frozen research grants this week, and Harvard’s $9 billion in federal contracts hangs in the balance. Beyond targeting solidarity with Palestine, Trump’s regime has attacked diversity programs and slashed $175 million from the University of Pennsylvania over transgender sports policies. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has escalated its crackdown, detaining and deporting foreign students who dared to stand with Palestine.

While Trump’s administration fuels Islamophobia and anti-Arab hatred amid Israel’s genocide in Gaza, it remains silent on these injustices, exposing its complicity. Paxson’s letter rang with resolve: “These are uncertain times. We remain committed to taking the steps necessary to preserve our ability to fulfill our mission as a university dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding in service to communities, the nation, and the world.” As the White House tightens its grip, Brown stands firm, a symbol of resistance against a government bent on shielding Israel’s atrocities at the expense of truth and justice. (ILKHA)