Why University of Nevada, Las Vegas is under Trump administration's lens

The Trump administration has threatened to cut federal funds to the universities over campus pro-Palestinian protests, saying they allowed antisemitism display.

The US Justice Department said on Tuesday it would probe the response of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to claims of antisemitism on campus, in the latest federal investigation of a school over protests against Israel's assault on Gaza.

The government says universities allowed displays of antisemitism.(Getty Images via AFP)

The Trump administration has threatened to cut federal funds to universities over campus pro-Palestinian protests. The government says universities allowed displays of antisemitism.

Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say the government wrongly equates criticism of Israel's assault on Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism, and advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for extremism. The government has not announced probes into Islamophobia.

"The investigation will focus on the University's response to antisemitism on campus," the Justice Department said.

"The compliance review investigation will examine whether UNLV, a recipient of federal financial assistance, has engaged in discriminatory practices."

UNLV said it will cooperate with the probe and expressed confidence the review will show it complies with applicable laws.

The DOJ's civil rights division wrote to UNLV's leadership, asking for some documents by November 1 on how it handled complaints of alleged discrimination on campus after the October 2023 Hamas attack and Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza.