Local News

DOJ is sending its ‘Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism’ to Boston

The task force will also visit New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

A man wears a Palestinian flag as he walks through an area where a pro-Palestinian encampment had been set up before it was dismantled by police at Emerson College in Boston, on April 25, 2024. Adam Glanzman for The New York Times, File

By Beth Treffeisen

March 14, 2025

2 minutes to read

The Department of Justice announced Thursday that it is sending a federal task force to Boston and three other major U.S. cities “to discuss their responses to incidents of antisemitism at schools and on college campuses in their cities over the last two years.”

The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism is looking into allegations that the schools in these cities “may have failed to protect Jewish students from unlawful discrimination, in potential violation of federal law.”

The task force comes as a result of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism. It’ll also visit New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

The task force wants to engage with “city leadership, impacted students, local law enforcement, and community members as it gathers information about these incidents and considers whether federal intervention is warranted,” according to the announcement.

“Too many elected officials chose not to stand up to a rising tide of antisemitism in our cities and campuses following the horrific events of October 7, 2023,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “Actions have consequences — inaction does, too.”

Leading task force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell says he looks forward to meeting with the mayors to “effectively identify ways that, working together or apart, we return safety, civility and sanity to our nation’s schools.”

A spokesperson for Mayor Michelle Wu’s office said that she is considering the request.

“Boston has one of the most vibrant Jewish communities in America, a source of pride and strength for our City and our region, and we stand firmly against antisemitism,” the spokesperson said in an email.

“We were made aware of this inquiry from media reports and will determine the right way to participate as we learn more and discuss with our Jewish community leaders and partners,” the statement continued.

Last April, Wu approved deploying city police to remove a pro-Palestinian tent encampment that Emerson College students had built in a walkway near to the school’s downtown campus. Police arrested more than 100 people.

A few days later, police detained around 100 people at a growing pro-Palestinian encampment at Northeastern University.

This past week, six Massachusetts colleges received letters from the federal Department of Education over alleged antisemitism on campuses. The federal officials warned the universities they could face “potential enforcement actions.”