Trump Wants To Cut Funding To 10 Universities Including U.C. Berkeley Over Anto Semitism

Bay Area Trump wants to cut funding to 10 schools over antisemitism. UC Berkeley is one By Rachel Swan, Reporter Updated March 8, 2025 8:58 p.m. Gift Article A flyer on antisemitism is posted outside a UC Berkeley office. UC Berkeley is among 10 colleges and universities the Trump administration targeted for possible withdrawal of federal funds, over allegations they created a hostile environment for Jewish students and faculty. A flyer on antisemitism is posted outside a UC Berkeley office. UC Berkeley is among 10 colleges and universities the Trump administration targeted for possible withdrawal of federal funds, over allegations they created a hostile environment for Jewish students and faculty. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle 2024 Show More UC Berkeley is reportedly among 10 schools being targeted by President Donald Trump’s administration for withdrawal of federal funds, which could potentially sap the institution of millions of dollars. Officials at the Department of Justice created a list of schools that could face punitive measures amid claims that they have allowed antisemitism to pervade their campuses, the New York Times reported. Federal law enforcement had already announced an investigation of UC Berkeley and four other universities last month, saying the Justice Department would determine whether campus administrators, students and faculty had engendered an “antisemitic hostile work environment.” Advertisement Article continues below this ad The list published by the Times includes two other universities in California — UCLA and the University of Southern California — as well as Northwestern University, John Hopkins University, New York University, Harvard, Columbia, George Washington University and the University of Minnesota. Berkeley law student Adam Pukier, left, helps a pro-Israeli demonstrator cross UC Berkeley’s Strawberry Creek last March. A group of more than 100 pro-Israeli demonstrators crossed the creek, largely avoiding confrontations with pro-Palestinian demonstrators holding a banner across Sather Gate. Berkeley law student Adam Pukier, left, helps a pro-Israeli demonstrator cross UC Berkeley’s Strawberry Creek last March. A group of more than 100 pro-Israeli demonstrators crossed the creek, largely avoiding confrontations with pro-Palestinian demonstrators holding a banner across Sather Gate. Noah Berger/Special to the Chronicle 2024 It was not immediately clear how much money UC Berkeley stands to lose if the Justice Department finds that the allegations of a hostile work environment are valid. This week, Trump revoked about $400 million in federal grants, awards and contracts slated for Columbia, accusing the school of “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.” Spokespeople for the department did not respond to a series of questions from the Chronicle on Saturday evening. In late January, Trump signed an executive order aiming to clamp down on antisemitism, with an explicit pledge to “marshal all federal resources” to quell any perceived animosity toward Jewish students and faculty, a sentiment that White House officials said had “exploded” since Hamas launched a coordinated attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. That invasion killed about 1,200 people, and militants kidnapped hundreds more, while Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes and blockade of humanitarian aid in Gaza have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A woman holds up an Israeli flag during a rally held in support of the nation at UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza in October 2023. A woman holds up an Israeli flag during a rally held in support of the nation at UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza in October 2023. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle 2023 Protests have swept college campuses over the past year and a half as the Israel-Hamas war all but decimated the Gaza Strip and displaced much of the population. Students erected tents on university lawns to show support for Palestine and opposition to Zionism. At UC Berkeley, anti-Israel demonstrators broke down a door and smashed a window at Zellerbach Playhouse to disrupt a talk by an Israeli lawyer last year. Days later, Jewish students and their allies marched to pressure the university to crack down on antisemitic speech and violence. Administrators at UC Berkeley highlighted their commitment to stamping out antisemitism in a statement Saturday, responding to the Justice Department’s threat to claw back funding. In the statement, administrators cited the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Jewish Student Life and Campus Climate, formed in 2015, as well as the Antisemitism Education Initiative developed four years later, to train new students, residence hall staff and campus government leaders how to recognize bias against their Jewish peers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad “We will respond to any complaints or allegations through the process prescribed by the DOJ,” the statement said, adding that UC Berkeley has rules and procedures to address antisemitic incidents, and administrators intend to comply with them. Reach Rachel Swan: rswan@sfchronicle.com March 8, 2025|Updated March 8