The Biden administration is stepping up its direct response to campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war, with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona sending a letter Friday to college and university presidents condemning “abhorrent” incidents of anti-Semitism on campus and sending available resources.
Cardona's letter, sent via email, comes a day after President Joe Biden addressed the issue on Thursday, making comments focused on law and order at the White House, emphasizing the need to protest peacefully without cause chaos.
“As the 2023-24 academic year comes to a close, I remain extremely concerned about reports of anti-Semitic hate directed at students on some campuses,” Cardona said in the letter, obtained firsthand by CNN .
In recent days, he wrote, there has been a “marked increase in reports of anti-Semitism against Jewish students on some college campuses.”
He cited reports from Jewish students of being physically assaulted or harassed while walking around campus, anti-Semitic statements including that Jewish students should “go back to Poland,” verbal abuse, and swastikas found on dormitory doors.
Cardona told higher education leaders that his department is “eager to provide additional resources, training and technical assistance,” linking to a list of strategies and other federal campus security resources, including guides from the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Department of Justice.
Source: CNN Brasil
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