The Department of Justice will take aggressive action against rising anti-Semitism on college campuses throughout the United States, Harmeet Dhillon said Wednesday at her confirmation hearing for assistant attorney general for the DOJ's Civil Rights Division.
"We've seen anti-Semitism sweep the nation, and it is very problematic that many people of the Jewish faith are barred by professors and fellow students from access to the classroom," Dhillon told Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Dhillon, whom President Donald Trump nominated in December and praised as "a tireless defender of our Constitutional Rights," said Wednesday that she views religious discrimination, including anti-Semitism, "as an appropriate target for the Civil Rights Division."
Anti-Semitic incidents have surged on college campuses since Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, with Jewish students facing harassment, intimidation, and exclusion from academic spaces. Anti-Israel protests have often escalated into verbal and physical altercations, and universities have faced accusations of violating Title VI, which prohibits discrimination at federally funded institutions.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) followed up Grassley's questions by asking Dhillon whether she would "commit to vigorously enforcing … Title VI violations related to anti-Semitism, to make sure that we root out this scourge on America's campuses."
"Absolutely, senator, I would certainly commit to that," Dhillon replied.
The Trump nominee also told Sen. Katie Britt (R., Ala.) that it is "crucial" for the DOJ to combat all forms of discrimination, warning that inaction constitutes "a blow not just to those individual students, but to the entire community when they see campus administrators refuse to protect them."
Dhillon's nomination is poised to advance to the full Senate for final confirmation. While a date has not been set, the Republican majority in the Senate makes her confirmation likely.