Trump administration ramps up its campaign against colleges
The new probes are the latest in a months-long effort across the federal government to pressure elite colleges and universities to hew more closely to the administration's political priorities.
The State Department announced Wednesday that it has opened an investigation into whether Harvard University is eligible to participate in its Exchange Visitor Program, a broad visa category that includes students, professors, working interns and other non-tourist visitors.
The department did not offer a reason for the probe, such as a specific complaint, but it said in a statement that universities which sponsor exchange visitors are required to show a "demonstrated commitment to fostering the principles of cultural exchange and mutual understanding upon which the program was founded."
The same day, the Department of Education announced unrelated investigations into whether five universities which offer special scholarships for undocumented students are "preferencing foreign-born students" over native-born ones.
The University of Louisville, the University of Nebraska Omaha, the University of Miami, the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University are the targets of the probe.
"Neither the Trump Administration's America first policies nor the Civil Right Act of 1964's prohibition on national origin discrimination permit universities to deny our fellow citizens the opportunity to compete for scholarships because they were born in the United States," said the department's acting assistant secretary for civil rights, Craig Trainor.
The probes are based on complaints submitted to the Office of Civil Rights by the Equal Protection Project of the Legal Insurrection Foundation, a conservative advocacy group.
In a highly unusual step, the education department included a statement from the advocacy group in its official announcement of the probes.
The OCR also said it was investigating additional scholarships at the schools that allegedly exclude other groups, including Western Michigan's scholarship for "African American, Native American, or Hispanic American" students and University of Louisville's scholarship for "LGBTQ+ students of color."
Four of five universities did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for the University of Michigan told CNBC, "The university has received a letter of notification relating to this matter. We have no further comment."
Wednesday's announcements are the latest step in the Trump administration's full-throated campaign to root out and penalize elite universities and increasingly, public and state colleges, for policies that do not align with administration priorities.
Harvard has been the target of multiple probes, as both a legal challenge and private negotiations between the university and the administration continue over Trump's federal funding freezes.
A Harvard spokesperson told CNBC the latest investigation is "yet another retaliatory step taken by the administration in violation of Harvard's First Amendment rights."
A separate federal probe determined last month that Harvard had violated the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli students, and Trump said in May that he wanted to revoke the university's tax-exempt status.
The government has also moved to freeze federal funding for several other Ivy League schools. Trump has said he is considering redirecting this money to trade schools.
Earlier this month, the House Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas to Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania, looking into alleged antitrust violations in the universities' tuition and financial aid policies. The announcement followed letters sent to all eight Ivy Leagues requesting documents.
In June, University of Virginia President Jim Ryan stepped down from his position after the Justice Department called for his resignation while the government investigated the school for its DEI policies.
More than a dozen schools, including Columbia University, Northwestern University and the University of California, Berkeley, have come under scrutiny.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
20 minutes ago
- New York Post
Judge Judy recreates controversial American verdicts and challenges viewers in ‘Justice on Trial'
EXCLUSIVE – Judge Judith Sheindlin helps recreate some of the most controversial court cases in American history in her new show, 'Justice on Trial.' The show, which was over 10 years in the making and finally premiered on Prime Video last Monday, revisits eight of the most monumental court cases in American memory — allowing the viewer to decide if justice was truly served with each verdict. The main lawyers featured on the show are Larry Bakman and Daniel Mentzer. Advertisement Episode seven features a re-telling of 'Snyder v. Phelps,' in which a grieving father, Albert Snyder, sued Fred Phelps and his followers at the Westboro Baptist Church for emotional distress after church members protested his son Matthew's military funeral. The churchgoers, as depicted in the episode, carried signs reading, 'God Hates Your Son,' 'Thank God for Dead Soldiers,' and 'Thank God for 9/11,' to protest the military's tolerance of homosexuality. 7 The show, which was over 10 years in the making and finally premiered on Prime Video last Monday. Michael Becker/Prime 7 The main lawyers featured on the show are Larry Bakman and Daniel Mentzer. Michael Becker/Prime As Snyder noted during the trial, his son was not gay. The protesters were protesting the military at-large. The court showdown highlighted the legal boundaries of protected speech when it conflicts with potential harm to others. Advertisement A jury in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland agreed with Snyder and awarded him a total of $10.9 million, which the judge lowered to $5 million. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the judgment, holding that Phelps' speech was protected by the First Amendment. The Supreme Court upheld the Fourth Circuit's ruling. The fiery Sheindlin had an opinion on the matter. While she and others may find the protesters' signs 'abhorrent,' she intoned that the Constitution does protect free speech. 7 A jury in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland agreed with Snyder and awarded him a total of $10.9 million. Courtesy of Prime 'Totally uncaring for people who are religious people, totally uncaring about the emotional trauma that that kind of demonstration might have on the family,' Sheindlin said of the Westboro protests in an interview with Fox News Digital. 'And yet the Supreme Court said in its decision that they had a right to express their views, even though their views were maybe abhorrent to the vast majority of Americans. I suppose you have to be able to… I wouldn't want to tolerate seeing the American flag burned in protest in America. Just wouldn't. It would offend me. But you have the right to do it. Is there a law that proscribes it? And I'd say probably not.' Advertisement So how do Americans reconcile their anger at a verdict with the Court's constitutional responsibilities? Sheindlin began her answer by referencing the movie 'American President.' 'I mean, we all would like our presidents to be like Michael Douglas, correct?' she said. 'And he said something at the end, but he's making the big speech at the end. He said, 'As an American, America is not easy, and you have to be able to defend somebody burning a flag, the American flag, as a protest, if you're going to insist that freedom of speech and expression exists.' And while we are all offended, it just didn't seem right that for no apparent reason, with no knowledge of who this young man was who was killed, just because they had a cause, they didn't care what the collateral damage was emotionally to the family of this young man.' 7 Judge Judy Sheindlin presiding over a courtroom trial. Courtesy of Prime 7 Judge Judy said there was one case, in particular, that spurred her to want to create 'Justice on Trial' and that may also leave some Americans feeling like justice may have taken a walk. Courtesy of Prime Advertisement Judge Judy said there was one case, in particular, that spurred her to want to create 'Justice on Trial' and that may also leave some Americans feeling like justice may have taken a walk. 'It was a case that happened in New York many, many years ago,' she shared. 'Two young thugs decided to rob an old man on the subway. Believe it or not, I remember the man's name. His name was Jerome Sandusky, and he was a man well in his 70s. And one of them was acting as a lookout. The other one went down the stairs with the pretty deserted platform and was beating up this old man in an attempt to take his watch and cash. And a transit police officer heard the screams of the old man coming from the subway, and he ran down into the subway. Pulled out his revolver and said, 'Stop, police!' And the young thug ran off and was running up the stairs. Police said, 'Stop, police!' He didn't stop, and the police officer shot him. And he shot him in the back as he was fleeing.' Then things got tricky in court and the situation seemed to turn on the victim. 7 Then things got tricky in court and the situation seemed to turn on the victim. Courtesy of Prime 7 'The young man pled guilty to the robbery, was sentenced, but hired a lawyer who sued the transit authority in the city of New York and received a judgment, a jury verdict for $4.3 million,' Sheindlin continued. Michael Becker/Prime 'The young man pled guilty to the robbery, was sentenced, but hired a lawyer who sued the transit authority in the city of New York and received a judgment, a jury verdict for $4.3 million,' Sheindlin continued. 'And then Mr. Sandusky, who took a very long time to recover from his physical wounds, but who would, you know — if you're a crime victim emotionally, you really never get over being a victim of violent crime. And Mr. Sandusky, he said, 'Well, that's sort of outrageous. I was the victim.' And so he hired a lawyer because now this thug had $4.3 million and his lawsuit was barred by the statute of limitations. So there are many facets to that case. Whether or not, ultimately, justice was served is an issue. And if you ask 10 people, given those set of facts, you will get at least eight different opinions.' Advertisement All eight episodes of 'Justice on Trial' are streaming now on Prime Video. Other cases covered by the series include the famous Scopes Monkey trial, Gideon v. Wainwright and People v. Turriago. In the latter case, troopers stopped Leonardo Turriago for a speeding violation on the New York State Thruway, which led police to discover a decomposing body locked in a steamer trunk. The episode explores the question of whether or not the search of the truck was legal. The series is created and executive produced by Sheindlin. Casey Barber, David Carr and Randy Douthit are also executive producers. Amy Freisleben is a co-executive producer.
The Hill
20 minutes ago
- The Hill
Megyn Kelly hires Hope Hicks as she expands media company
Conservative pundit Megyn Kelly has hired Hope Hicks, a political operative and close ally of President Trump, to help run her growing media company, which Kelly launched after a career in cable and network news. Hicks, who worked as an executive at Fox Corp. before joining Trump during his first term as communication director, will serve as chief operating officer for Devil May Care Media, Kelly's media outfit that encompasses her popular podcast, YouTube show and other verticals. 'Hope Hicks is exactly the kind of woman I want running my company with me – strong, smart, strategic and the embodiment of class and poise,' Kelly said in a statement. Hicks, who had been working as a corporate consultant since leaving the first Trump administration, in prepared remarks praised Kelly as having 'used her talent, integrity, and unparalleled credibility to create content unlike anything else available today.' Hicks will report to Kelly in her new role and will oversee a team of staff 'dedicated to the continued success of Kelly's media company, with expansions in new lines of business and partnerships.' Kelly, an outspoken supporter of Trump, has used her new platform to grow a sizable audience and often rips 'corporate media' outlets she and other independent content creators say are out of touch with viewers and listeners.
22 minutes ago
Democrat Roy Cooper launches Senate bid in North Carolina for Tillis' seat
Roy Cooper, the former Democratic governor of North Carolina, officially launched his Senate bid for Republican Sen. Thom Tillis' open seat in 2026 on Monday. 'I'm Roy Cooper, and I know that today, for too many Americans, the middle class feels like a distant dream. Meanwhile, the biggest corporations and the richest Americans have grabbed unimaginable wealth at your expense. It's time for that to change,' Cooper said in an announcement video posted on X. In his announcement, Cooper said he believes that the next election will determine 'if we even have a middle class in America anymore.' He doesn't mention President Donald Trump directly. 'Right now, our country is facing a moment as fragile as any I can remember, and the decisions we make in the next election will determine if we even have a middle class in America anymore. I never really wanted to go to Washington. I just wanted to serve the people of North Carolina, right here where I've lived all my life. But these are not ordinary times. Politicians in D.C. are running up our debt, ripping away our health care, disrespecting our veterans, cutting health for the poor, and even putting Medicare and Social Security at risk just to give tax breaks to billionaires. That's wrong, and I've had enough.' The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) responded to the news in a statement slamming Cooper as both "far left" and anti-Trump, alongside attempting to tie him to former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris. 'Roy Cooper is a Democrat lapdog who spent his time as Governor sabotaging President Trump, doing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' bidding,' NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez said partly in a statement. 'When Hurricane Helene hit, Cooper's gross mismanagement left over 100 North Carolinians dead and an estimated $53 billion in damage to businesses, homes, and infrastructure. North Carolina wants a senator who will champion working families, safety, and American values, not an incompetent, far-left career politician like Cooper who will wreck everything they care about.' As for the Republicans' pick, multiple sources tell ABC News that RNC Chair Michael Whatley is planning to launch a bid after being asked directly by Trump to run. Trump is hopeful that Whatley, who led the North Carolina Republican Party before becoming RNC chair, has the knowledge of the state, the national profile and the network of relationships to run a strong campaign. Tillis said in June that he would not seek reelection, citing 'the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington' and as Trump railed against him for opposing his signature megabill.
