Berkeley Hands Over 160 Names in Pro-’Israel’ Probe

By Staff, Agencies

The University of California, Berkeley has come under fire after disclosing that it handed over the names of 160 faculty members, students, and staff to US President Donald Trump’s administration as part of a federal investigation into “alleged anti-Semitic incidents.” 

The move has sparked outrage among targeted academics, who likened it to a “McCarthy-era” tactic against dissent on campus. 

Letters sent last week by campus counsel David Robinson informed those affected that their names were included in materials provided to the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights [OCR]. 

The office is pursuing investigations tied to Donald Trump’s effort to crack down on pro-Palestinian activism, international students, and academic freedom at US universities.

Judith Butler, a renowned philosopher who has long been critical of “Israeli” policies, said on Friday that the university had refused to reveal the substance of any complaints. 

Butler, who is Jewish, called the disclosure “an enormous breach of trust” and said it undermined Berkeley’s tradition as the birthplace of the 1960s Free Speech Movement. 

“We have a right to know the charges against us, who made them, and to review and defend ourselves,” Butler said. “But none of that has happened, which is why we’re in Kafka-land.” 

US officials confirmed the names were released by order of the system wide general counsel, stating they must comply with federal requests while aiming to protect community privacy.

Butler warned the list includes vulnerable individuals like lecturers and international students, risking deportation or harassment. Normal complaint procedures were bypassed, leaving those named unable to respond or know the accusations.

In a letter to Robinson, Butler compared the practice to “well-known” tactics from the McCarthy era, warning it could lead to government surveillance, travel restrictions, or blacklists. 

“To allow universities to be bossed by political operatives in this way undermines the ideals of critical thought, dissent, and democracy,” they wrote. 

UC Berkeley faces Trump administration pressure over pro-Palestinian activism, including funding cuts and probes targeting campus protests.

Janet Gilmore, a university spokesperson, said the campus had provided “numerous documents” to federal officials in recent months and was following academic senate guidance to notify individuals when their information is disclosed. 

“We are committed to transparency and supporting our campus community while complying with federal investigations,” she said. 

Leading US universities are increasingly turning to corporate partners for financial support after the Trump administration canceled hundreds of federal research grants, The Wall Street Journal reported in June.

Faculty, trustees, and administrators at institutions like Harvard are now in discussions with major tech and pharmaceutical companies to replace lost government funding, the report said.

In June, University of California faculty filed a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration over severe research funding cuts that caused layoffs and project cancellations.

The case, led by Claudia Polsky, the founding director of the University of California's environmental law clinic, was filed in San Francisco without institutional backing.