On Jan. 29, President Donald Trump signed executive order 14188. The order targets antisemitism in education following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, seeking “to prosecute, remove or hold to account the perpetrators of unlawful anti-Semitic harassment or violence.”
As part of its implementation, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) opened investigations into five universities that held reports of widespread antisemitic harassment and discrimination, including the University of Minnesota. The investigations were opened under alleged violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on racial identity or national origin in programs or organizations that receive federal funding.
In response to the investigation, University of Minnesota president Rebecca Cunningham released a statement detailing the university’s efforts to fight back against antisemitism. Cunningham articulated the university’s stance that “harassment on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity and sexual orientation, disability or citizenship status will not be tolerated on our campuses,” adding that “similar efforts are also underway to address bias and hate targeting any group based on shared ancestry, ethnicity or protected identities.”
Minnesota Chabad co-director Rabbi Yitzi Steiner believes that the university is taking much needed action towards antisemitism. “They’ve done what they need to do: meeting with the Jewish students, understanding the severity of anti semitism, and realizing that it’s something that’s really important for them to take head on,” he said.
Cunningham revealed the university’s new three-component initiative to target antisemitic bias and address harassment on campus. This program includes a mandatory module on antisemitism, the inclusion of specific questions about antisemitism on the university’s campus climate survey, and the creation of a specific Jewish Alumni network to foster connection between Jewish undergraduates and alumni.
These changes come in response to dramatic federal funding cuts occurring to universities across the country. In March, the Trump administration announced the cancellation of over $400 million in grant money to Columbia University and threatened the restriction of over $2 billion of federal funding to Harvard University. Many fear that the University of Minnesota will be next on the chopping block.
In order to regain their funding, Columbia obeyed the set of demands the OCR placed on the university, which include banning the use of face masks during protest and encouraging university security to arrest or remove protestors failing to obey campus regulations. This led to the detainment of student activist Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian green card holder who organized pro-Palestinian protests. University of Minnesota activists now fear backlash and potential violence due to their participation in protests.
In response to Khalil’s detainment, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee held a protest in solidarity. Committee member Lina Jabera stated in a speech that “Mahmoud was unjustly arrested and detained by immigration authorities on Saturday without charge or due process.” She added: “There’s no reason for any of us to expect that what happens in Palestine or at Columbia can’t happen here.”
For Steiner, the university’s attempt to combat antisemitism requires strict enforcement of campus hate speech policies. “There should be no tolerance for hate speech against any specific group,” he said.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on May 8, 2025
