The University of California, Berkeley has disclosed the names of over 150 faculty members and students to President Donald Trump’s administration, as part of a federal investigation on alleged incidents of anti-Semitism across college campuses nationwide.
On Friday, UC Berkeley confirmed that 160 individuals from the campus community had their names sent to the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. Notifications were sent to those impacted by the university last week.
The investigation by the Education Department began months ago, targeting UC Berkeley’s handling of complaints related to these alleged incidents. UC Berkeley has stated that the federal agency demanded documentation during the inquiry.
The university’s administration emphasized that it must adhere to oversight from federal and state agencies. They noted that document requests are routine during government audits, compliance reviews, or investigations.
A spokesperson for the UC president reiterated the institution’s commitment to protecting the privacy of students, faculty, and staff while also fulfilling its legal obligations.
The US government did not provide immediate comments regarding the situation.
Since the beginning of his second term, President Donald Trump has threatened to cut federal funding for educational institutions due to pro-Palestinian student protests that occurred last spring. His administration claims these protests allowed anti-Semitism to proliferate.
In response, pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which included participation from some Jewish groups, argued that their criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza should not be equated with anti-Semitism. They believe that advocacy for Palestinian rights is mistakenly associated with support for extremism.
Concerns regarding free speech, due process, and academic freedom have been raised in light of President Trump’s threats towards these institutions. The Trump administration has also aimed to deport foreign pro-Palestinian protesters, encountering legal roadblocks on this front.
A graduate student at UC Berkeley, wishing to remain anonymous, expressed concern that the targeted names appeared to mostly represent Muslim and Arab individuals who supported Palestine.
Among those listed is Judith Butler, a feminist philosopher who has used her Jewish background to oppose Israeli policies as part of the human rights organization Jewish Voice for Peace. Butler shared her thoughts with the San Francisco Chronicle, stating that the university’s compliance with the federal investigation resembles actions taken during the McCarthy Era.
In a letter to UC Berkeley’s campus lawyer, Butler condemned the provision of names to the government as a significant breach of trust, ethics, and justice.
The Trump administration previously settled investigations with Columbia University, requiring more than $220 million in payments, while Brown University settled for $50 million. Both institutions agreed to certain government demands as part of their settlements. Negotiations with Harvard University are still ongoing.
Efforts by the Trump administration to freeze federal funding have faced judicial obstacles. In a notable case, the government proposed a $1 billion settlement with UCLA but faced dismissal from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who labeled the offer as an attempt at extortion.
Rights advocates have also observed a disturbing rise in anti-Semitism, anti-Arab bias, and Islamophobia since the October 7, 2023, attacks led by Hamas on southern Israel, which triggered a subsequent war on Gaza. Notably, the Trump administration has not launched similar investigations into Islamophobia.
image source from：aljazeera
