US forms “task force” to battle anti-Semitism, focusing on schools and campuses
PHOTO CAPTION: The seal of the United States Department of Justice is seen on the building exterior of the United States Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., August 17, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
By Julia Harte and Kanishka Singh
(Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department said it formed a multi-agency task force on Monday to fight antisemitism in schools and universities, while the Education Department announced it was investigating five universities for alleged antisemitic harassment.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
The task force follows an executive order from President Donald Trump in which he warned "resident aliens who joined in pro-jihadist protests" that they would be deported, referring to pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. college campuses.
Trump also pledged to revoke the student visas of those he called "Hamas sympathizers." Many pro-Palestinian protest groups have rejected allegations of supporting extremism.
COLLEGES TARGETED
The Education Department said it was opening investigations of antisemitic harassment at Columbia University, Northwestern University, Portland State University, University of California, Berkeley; and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
The department under the administration of former President Joe Biden settled with some universities through resolution agreements over alleged antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Those deals were labeled as toothless by the Trump administration. It was not clear how they would be impacted under Trump. The Education Department did not respond to requests for comment on that or on whether it plans similar probes over allegations of anti-Muslim bias.
The Health Department said on Monday it was starting compliance reviews for four medical schools over alleged antisemitism during 2024 commencement ceremonies. It did not name the schools.
THE RESPONSE
If the task force "weaponizes the power of the federal government to suppress the speech of college kids who have advocated for Palestinian rights, then that is going to run into a wall called the U.S. Constitution," warned Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
CONTEXT
Israel's military assault on Gaza after Hamas' Oct. 2023 attack on Israel has led to pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. college campuses.
The presidents of three Ivy League universities resigned due to criticism over their handling of the protests. Rights groups note a surge in hate against American Jews, Muslims and Arabs.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Justice Department task force will coordinate efforts through its civil rights division. The Council on American Islamic Relations says it will monitor the task force's actions before determining potential legal challenges.
Universities have also faced legal cases over protests. On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the University of Michigan while some students sued Columbia University over bans and suspensions related to pro-Palestinian protests.
(Reporting by Julia Harte in New York and Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Howard Goller, Matthew Lewis and Kim Coghill)
