Federal antisemitism task force to visit UCLA, USC campuses months after protests

LOS ANGELES - The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism announced this week that it will visit the campuses of UCLA and USC to investigate allegations of antisemitism on campus.

The announcement comes nearly one month after an executive order signed by Donald Trump calling for his administration to "combat anti-Semitism vigorously," and months after massive pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protests broke out on both campuses in response to the war in Gaza.

Antisemitism task force to visit campuses

What we know:

The Department of Justice announced on Friday that the task force had informed 10 universities across the country that it would be visiting, saying it was "aware of allegations that the schools may have failed to protect Jewish students and faculty members from unlawful discrimination, in potential violation of federal law."

The task force plans to meet with university leadership, students and staff, law enforcement and other community members.

"The President, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and the entire Administration are committed to ensuring that no one should feel unsafe or unwelcome on campus because of their religion," said task force member Leo Terrell. "The Task Force’s mandate is to bring the full force of the federal government to bear in our effort to eradicate Anti-Semitism, particularly in schools. These visits are just one of many steps this Administration is taking to deliver on that commitment."

Protests on campus

The backstory:

During the spring 2024 semester, UCLA and USC's campuses were both home to large-scale protests, both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel, in response to the Hamas attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ongoing war in Gaza.

Groups set up encampments on both campuses for days. At UCLA, dueling protests between the two factions broke out into violence, with brawls and firecrackers being shot for hours before police arrived to break it up. 

SUGGESTED: UCLA protest: Fights erupt, firecrackers thrown at pro-Palestinian tents

In at least one instance, a Jewish UCLA student claims that pro-Palestine protesters kept him from going to parts of campus, keeping him from class, leading to at least one lawsuit against the university.

SUGGESTED: Jewish UCLA student said protesters blocked him from walking to class

Pro-Palestine groups suspended

Dig deeper:

Demonstrations have continued in the months and weeks since on both campuses. In February, UCLA suspended two student groups — Students for Justice in Palestine and Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine — following allegations of vandalism and harassment at the home of a UC regent. 

What we don't know:

It was not immediately clear when the task force would be visiting the campuses or what recourse the universities could potentially face.

Other campuses investigated

Big picture view:

In addition to UCLA and USC, the task force will visit eight other college campuses across the U.S. facing similar allegations, including Columbia University, George Washington University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, New York University, Northwestern University, UC Berkeley and the University of Minnesota.