On Aug. 18, the University of California, Berkeley shared over 160 names of alleged pro-Palestine students, faculty and staff linked to an investigation into “antisemitic incidents.”
According to an article by the Guardian, UC Berkeley officials confirmed those whose names were shared “had received letters warning of the disclosures.” This decision to share information to the Trump administration was made by the UC’s systemwide general counsel
The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights first issued warnings back in March of “potential enforcement actions” if universities were found violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1969, which states the following, according to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice:
“If a recipient of federal assistance is found to have discriminated and voluntary compliance cannot be achieved, the federal agency providing the assistance should either initiate fund termination proceedings or refer the matter to the Department of Justice for appropriate legal action. Aggrieved individuals may file administrative complaints with the federal agency that provides funds to a recipient, or the individuals may file suit for appropriate relief in federal court. Title VI itself prohibits intentional discrimination. However, most funding agencies have regulations implementing Title VI that prohibit recipient practices that have the effect of discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin.”
Judith Butler, a notable feminist philosopher at Berkeley, received a letter from David Robinson, Berkeley’s chief campus counsel, informing them their name had been shared. The counsel declined to disclose the information in the files to Butler.
“The consequences of this compliance could be really terrible for a lot of people’s lives, most of whom are much more vulnerable than I am,” Butler said. “They can suffer a lot of things, especially the international students, including deportation, expulsion, job loss, harassment, and surveillance.”
UC Berkeley is the second highest rated public university in the country, known for its history at the forefront of many pivotal political movements, such as the 1964 Free Speech Movement and the 1969 Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) movement. UC Berkeley isn’t the only major university targeted by the Trump administration. Harvard and Columbia, among other universities, have faced cuts in federal funding threatened by the Trump administration.
UC Berkeley relies on federal funding as it is a public university, receiving around $1 billion in grants annually. Additionally, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory receives around $1.5 billion annually, forcing the institution’s hand.
All public universities are subject to oversight from the federal government, but the Trump administration’s crackdown on public institutions and pro-Palestinian students could pose a threat to academic freedom.
