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India Today
42 minutes ago
- Politics
- India Today
US alleges UCLA violated civil rights law during Israel-Gaza campus unrest
The US Justice Department (Image source: AP) UCLA violated Equal Protection Clause and Civil Rights Act DOJ cites deliberate indifference to harassment complaints UCLA risks losing federal funds without corrective action The US Justice Department on Tuesday accused the University of California (UCLA) of not doing enough to protect Jewish and Israeli students from ongoing harassment since the start of the Israel-Gaza war. Officials said the university allowed a hostile environment to grow without taking proper action. Federal officials say UCLA violated the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by standing by as students faced 'severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive harassment' since protests erupted in October 2023. 'UCLA failed to take timely and appropriate action in response to credible claims of harm and hostility,' said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon. 'That's a clear violation of federal civil rights law.' In a scathing Notice of Violation, the DOJ's Civil Rights Division said UCLA acted with 'deliberate indifference' and failed to respond meaningfully to repeated complaints from Jewish and Israeli students, who said they were targeted for their identity. 'This disgusting breach of civil rights against students will not stand,' said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. 'DOJ will force UCLA to pay a heavy price for putting Jewish Americans at risk.' While UCLA hasn't publicly responded yet, the finding puts the university at risk of losing federal funding if it doesn't take corrective steps. The report paints a picture of growing anti-Semitic hostility on campus â€' from verbal abuse and intimidation to exclusion from student spaces. It also suggests UCLA officials were slow to act, even as tensions escalated after the October 7 Hamas attacks and Israel's military response in Gaza. The US government has been probing multiple universities for their handling of last year's pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's military assault in Gaza, which followed an October 2023 Hamas attack. Earlier on Tuesday, UCLA agreed to pay more than $6 million to settle a lawsuit brought by some students and a professor who alleged antisemitic discrimination, according to Reuters. Concerns about anti-Palestinian incidents surfaced in spring 2024, when a pro-Israel group attacked a pro-Palestinian protest camp with clubs and poles â€' one of the most violent episodes of the campus unrest. Last week, Columbia University in New York City said it will pay over $200 million to the US government in a settlement with the Trump administration to resolve federal probes and have most of its suspended federal funding restored. The US Justice Department on Tuesday accused the University of California (UCLA) of not doing enough to protect Jewish and Israeli students from ongoing harassment since the start of the Israel-Gaza war. Officials said the university allowed a hostile environment to grow without taking proper action. Federal officials say UCLA violated the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by standing by as students faced 'severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive harassment' since protests erupted in October 2023. 'UCLA failed to take timely and appropriate action in response to credible claims of harm and hostility,' said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon. 'That's a clear violation of federal civil rights law.' In a scathing Notice of Violation, the DOJ's Civil Rights Division said UCLA acted with 'deliberate indifference' and failed to respond meaningfully to repeated complaints from Jewish and Israeli students, who said they were targeted for their identity. 'This disgusting breach of civil rights against students will not stand,' said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. 'DOJ will force UCLA to pay a heavy price for putting Jewish Americans at risk.' While UCLA hasn't publicly responded yet, the finding puts the university at risk of losing federal funding if it doesn't take corrective steps. The report paints a picture of growing anti-Semitic hostility on campus â€' from verbal abuse and intimidation to exclusion from student spaces. It also suggests UCLA officials were slow to act, even as tensions escalated after the October 7 Hamas attacks and Israel's military response in Gaza. The US government has been probing multiple universities for their handling of last year's pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's military assault in Gaza, which followed an October 2023 Hamas attack. Earlier on Tuesday, UCLA agreed to pay more than $6 million to settle a lawsuit brought by some students and a professor who alleged antisemitic discrimination, according to Reuters. Concerns about anti-Palestinian incidents surfaced in spring 2024, when a pro-Israel group attacked a pro-Palestinian protest camp with clubs and poles â€' one of the most violent episodes of the campus unrest. Last week, Columbia University in New York City said it will pay over $200 million to the US government in a settlement with the Trump administration to resolve federal probes and have most of its suspended federal funding restored. Join our WhatsApp Channel
DW
18 hours ago
- Politics
- DW
US Justice Department targets judge over Trump remarks – DW – 07/29/2025
US President Donald Trump's administration has filed a misconduct complaint against a top federal judge, accusing him of bias. The judge had previously blocked deportation flights of Venezuelans to El Salvador. The US Justice Department filed a misconduct complaint on Monday against Chief US District Judge James Boasberg, accusing him of making improper comments about US President Donald Trump. The filing escalates a clash over the Trump administration's controversial deportations of Venezuelans to a mega-prison in El Salvador. The complaint, announced by US Attorney General Pam Bondi on social media, accuses Boasberg of questioning whether the Trump administration would obey court rulings. Boasberg allegedly made the comments during a closed-door meeting of the Judicial Conference, the federal judiciary's governing body. Boasberg warned during the March meeting that the administration might trigger "a constitutional crisis" by ignoring court orders. The Justice Department claims Boasberg's remarks — reported by conservative outlet The Federalist and allegedly made to Chief Justice John Roberts and other members of the judiciary body — undermined judicial impartiality and violated the judicial code of conduct. The complaint follows Boasberg's decision on contempt charges against the Justice Department after the administration launched three deportation flights to El Salvador on March 15, despite an ongoing emergency court hearing on the legality of the action. In an April ruling, Boasberg concluded the government had acted "in bad faith." He also found "probable cause" to pursue contempt charges for violating his verbal order to halt the deportations. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The DC Circuit Court later paused Boasberg's contempt finding, though it has yet to rule on whether to overturn it. The Justice Department's complaint requests a formal investigation, reassignment of the deportations case, and possible disciplinary action — including a recommendation for impeachment if the allegations are substantiated. The administration contends that Boasberg's order blocked deportations carried out under wartime authority granted by the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act, a hitherto rarely used law invoked by President Trump. Boasberg has presided over a lawsuit brought by alleged Venezuelan gang members challenging their removal to the notorious Salvadoran prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT. Earlier this month, more than 250 deported Venezuelans were quietly returned to their home country in a negotiated deal that also secured the release of 10 US citizens and permanent residents held in Venezuela. Trump has personally called for Boasberg's impeachment — a move that drew an unusual public rebuke from the conservative Chief Justice Roberts, who defended judicial independence. The complaint also claims Boasberg acted on his purported views by issuing the order to block the deportation flights. Boasberg's chambers have declined to comment. Boasberg, a former federal prosecutor, was first appointed by Republican President George W. Bush to the DC Superior Court in 2002 and later elevated to the federal bench by President Barack Obama in 2011. He now serves as chief judge of the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘I turned it down': Trump speaks out on fallout with Epstein, denies ever visiting his private island
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he never visited Jeffrey Epstein's private island and turned down an invitation to go there, calling it a decision he now sees as wise. 'I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down,' Trump told reporters while in Scotland. 'In one of my very good moments, I turned it down,' he said, according to Reuters. Trump is facing renewed questions about his past connection with Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died by suicide in jail in 2019. Epstein owned a private island in the US Virgin Islands, which prosecutors say was used to carry out sex trafficking and abuse of underage girls. Trump and Epstein were known to have socialised in the 1990s and early 2000s. On Monday, Trump said their relationship ended after Epstein tried to hire staff who were working for him. 'He hired help. And I said, 'Don't ever do that again.' He stole people that work for me,' Trump told reporters. 'He did it again. And I threw him out of the place persona non grata,' Reuters quoted him as saying. Last week, White House communications director Steven Cheung said Trump had ended the friendship after deciding Epstein was a 'creep.' The White House is under pressure from both Trump's supporters and critics to release more information related to the US Justice Department's handling of the Epstein case. Attorney General Pam Bondi had earlier promised to release more details about Epstein's possible clients and the circumstances of his death. But this month, the Justice Department said it found no reason to continue the investigation and said there was no client list. The decision led to criticism from some of Trump's supporters, who believe there is still more information that has not been made public. On Monday, Trump called the attention around the case 'a hoax.' 'It's a hoax that's been built up way beyond proportion,' he said. Trump claimed that if there had been anything serious in the Epstein files, Democrats would have used it against him in the last election, Reuters reported. Flight records show Trump flew on Epstein's private jet at least six times between 1991 and 2005, though none of those flights were to Epstein's island. Trump has denied being on the plane and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
News18
4 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Families of Americans slain in West Bank lose hope for justice
Biddu (West Bank), Jul 26 (AP) When Sayfollah Musallet of Tampa, Florida, was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the West Bank two weeks ago, he became the fourth Palestinian-American killed in the occupied territory since the war in Gaza began. No one has been arrested or charged in Musallet's slaying – and if Israel's track record on the other three deaths is any guide, it seems unlikely to happen. Yet Musallet's father and a growing number of US politicians want to flip the script. 'We demand justice," Kamel Musallet said at his 20-year-old son's funeral earlier this week. 'We demand the US government do something about it." Still, Musallet and relatives of the other Palestinian-Americans say they doubt anyone will be held accountable, either by Israel or the US. They believe the first word in their hyphenated identity undercuts the power of the second. And they say Israel and its law enforcement have made them feel like culprits — by imposing travel bans and, in some cases, detaining and interrogating them. Although the Trump administration has stopped short of promising investigations of its own, the US Embassy in Jerusalem has urged Israel to investigate the circumstances of each American's death. Writing on X on July 15, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said he'd asked Israel to 'aggressively investigate the murder" of Musallet and that 'there must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act." Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and 28 other Democratic senators have also called for an investigation. In a letter this week to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi, they pointed to the 'repeated lack of accountability" after the deaths of Musallet and other Americans killed in the West Bank. Families have demanded independent investigations American-born teenagers Tawfic Abdel Jabbar and Mohammad Khdour were killed in early 2024 by Israeli fire while driving in the West Bank. In April 2025, 14-year-old Amer Rabee, a New Jersey native, was shot in the head at least nine times by Israeli forces, according to his father, as he stood among a grove of green almond trees in his family's village. In the immediate aftermath of both cases, Israeli authorities said that forces had fired on rock throwers, allegations disputed by the families and by testimony obtained by the AP. Israel pledged to investigate the cases further, but has released no new findings. The teens' families told the AP they sought independent investigations by American authorities, expressing doubts that Israel would investigate in good faith. According to the Israeli watchdog group Yesh Din, killings of Palestinians in the West Bank rarely result in investigations — and when they do, indictments are uncommon. The US Justice Department has jurisdiction to investigate the deaths of its own citizens abroad, but does so after it gets permission from the host government and usually works with the host country's law enforcement. The US Embassy in Jerusalem declined to say whether the US has launched independent probes into the killings. A spokesperson for the embassy said in a statement that investigations are 'underway" in Israel over the deaths of the four Americans and that its staff is pressing the Israeli authorities to move quickly and transparently. Sen Van Hollen said that when the US deals with Israel it 'either doesn't pursue these cases with the vigour necessary, or we don't get any serious cooperation." 'And then instead of demanding cooperation and accountability, we sort of stop — and that's unacceptable. It's unacceptable to allow American citizens to be killed with impunity," the Maryland Democrat said. Israel says it holds soldiers and settlers accountable Israel says it holds soldiers and settlers to account under the bounds of the law, and that the lack of indictments does not mean a lack of effort. A prominent recent case was the death of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist for broadcaster Al Jazeera killed in the West Bank in 2022. An independent US analysis of the circumstances of her death found that fire from an Israeli soldier was 'likely responsible" for her killing but said it appeared to be an accident. Despite an Israeli military investigation with similar conclusions, no one was ever disciplined. Violence by Israeli forces and settlers has flared in the West Bank since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. More than 950 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the war in Gaza, according to the United Nations. Some have been militants killed in fighting with Israel, though the dead have also included stone-throwers and bystanders uninvolved in violence. Instead of justice, restrictions and detentions Rather than a path toward justice, the families of Khdour, Rabee, and Abdel Jabbar say they've faced only challenges since the deaths. Khdour, born in Miami, Florida, was shot and killed in April 2024 while driving in Biddu, a West Bank town near Jerusalem where he lived since age 2. US investigators visited his family after the killing, his family said. Abdel Jabbar was killed while driving down a dirt road close to Al Mazra as-Sharqiya, his village in the northern West Bank. Khdour's cousin, Malek Mansour, the sole witness, told the AP he was questioned by both Israeli and American investigators and repeated his testimony that shots came from a white pickup on Israeli territory. He believes the investigators did not push hard enough to figure out who killed his cousin. 'The matter ended like many of those who were martyred (killed)," said Hanan Khdour, Khdour's mother. Two months after the death, Israeli forces raided the family's home and detained Mohammad's brother, Omar Khdour, 23, also an American citizen. Videos taken by family and shared with the AP show Omar Khdour blindfolded and handcuffed as Israeli soldiers in riot gear lead him out of the building and into a military jeep. He said he was threatened during questioning, held from 4 am to 3 pm, and warned not to pursue the case. Here, being American means 'nothing' Omar Khdour said Israeli soldiers at checkpoints have prevented him from leaving the West Bank to visit Israel or Jerusalem. Two other American fathers of Palestinian-Americans killed since October 7, 2023 reported similar restrictions. Hafeth Abdel Jabbar, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar's father, said he and his wife were blocked from leaving the West Bank for seven months. His son, Amir Abdel Jabbar, 22, remains restricted. The father of Amer Rabee says he and his wife have also been stuck in the West Bank since their son's killing. He showed AP emails from the US Embassy in Jerusalem in which a consular official told him that Israel had imposed a travel ban on him, though it was unclear why. Israeli authorities did not respond to comment on the detentions or travel restrictions. top videos View all Rabee said that in a land where violence against Palestinians goes unchecked, his family's American passports amounted to nothing more than a blue book. 'We are all American citizens," Rabee said. 'But here, for us, being American means nothing." (AP) NPK NPK (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 26, 2025, 17:45 IST News agency-feeds Families of Americans slain in West Bank lose hope for justice Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
eNCA
4 days ago
- Politics
- eNCA
Top US Justice official questions Epstein accomplice for 2nd day
US - The US Justice Department's deputy chief conducted a second day of questioning Friday with Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned accomplice of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose infamous case has dragged President Donald Trump into a political firestorm. Todd Blanche, who is also Trump's former personal attorney, has so far declined to say what he discussed with Maxwell in the highly unusual meetings between a convicted felon and a top DOJ official. Maxwell's lawyer David Markus said Friday afternoon that she was asked about "everything" and "answered every single question" during the second day of questioning at a courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. "They asked about every single, every possible thing you could imagine," Markus told reporters outside the courtroom, without elaborating. But he did say there was "no offers" of clemency made to Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence on sex trafficking charges. Trump is looking to move past the Epstein scandal, which has seen him on rare unsure footing over claims his administration mishandled a review of the notorious case. On Friday, Trump again sought to put distance between himself and Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. "I have nothing to do with the guy," Trump, whose past friendship with Epstein has received much media attention this week, told reporters ahead of a visit to Scotland. - 'Never briefed' - Trump urged journalists to "focus" instead on Democratic Party figures like former president Bill Clinton and his treasury secretary, former Harvard president Larry Summers, whom the Republican claimed were "really close friends" of Epstein. Asked whether he was considering a pardon or commutation of Maxwell's 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, Trump said it was something "I haven't thought about" - but stressed he had the power to do so. He also denied multiple US media reports that he was briefed in the spring by Attorney General Pam Bondi that his name appeared multiple times in the so-called "Epstein Files." "No, I was never - never briefed, no," Trump said. Multi-millionaire Epstein was accused of procuring underage girls for sex with his circle of wealthy, high-profile associates when he died by suicide in a New York jail cell. His death fueled conspiracy theories that he was murdered to stop him testifying against prominent accomplices. Trump, who had promised his supporters revelations about the case, infuriated some after his administration announced in early July that it had not discovered any new elements warranting the release of additional documents. The Department of Justice and the FBI said there was no proof that there was a "list" of Epstein's clients, while affirming he died by suicide. - 'Scapegoat'? - Ahead of the second round of questioning, Markus told reporters "Ghislaine has been treated unfairly for over five years now" and described her as a "scapegoat." "Everything she says can be corroborated and she's telling the truth. She's got no reason to lie at this point and she's going to keep telling the truth," he added. Maxwell, the only former Epstein associate who has been convicted, was jailed in 2022 for grooming underage girls between 1994 and 2004 so that Epstein could sexually exploit them. Her lawyer said she still intended to appeal her conviction in the Supreme Court. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Trump's name was among hundreds found during a DOJ review of Epstein's case files, though there has not been evidence of wrongdoing. Trump filed a $10 billion defamation suit against the Journal last week after it reported that he had penned a sexually suggestive letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson cut short the legislative session this week, sending lawmakers home on summer recess a day early to avoid potentially combustible debate - particularly among Trump's Republicans - on the release of files.
