Trump is targeting several Philly-area schools for alleged antisemitism

Driving the news: Temple, Drexel, Swarthmore and Rutgers are among 60 colleges and universities being investigated by the Department of Education over accusations of antisemitic discrimination and harassment.

• Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement that "relentless antisemitic eruptions … have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year," warning university officials to "do better."

Between the lines: While schools face "potential enforcement actions" for violating federal anti-discrimination laws, DOE officials haven't outlined any specific consequences. But McMahon warned:

• "U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers. That support is a privilege and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal anti-discrimination laws."

What they're saying: Temple President John Fry said in a letter Tuesday that the university entered into an agreement with the DOE's Office of Civil Rights last year to resolve a previous investigation into allegations of antisemitism on campus in 2023.

• The university is "on schedule to fulfill" the obligations of that agreement and will continue cooperating with the DOE.
• "Temple will continue to work diligently to ensure all members of our community remain supported during this challenging time," Fry wrote.

Rutgers follows all state and federal anti-discrimination laws and "will always strive to strengthen and enforce the policies and practices that protect our students, faculty, and staff," university spokesperson Dory Devlin tells Axios.

• A spokesperson for Swarthmore College told Axios the school will cooperate with the federal government, and it pledged to maintain an "environment free of intimidation, harassment, and discrimination."
• Drexel didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Zoom out: Schools have faced several threats to their federal funding in recent weeks. Many Philly schools nixed or scaled back diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies after the Trump administration instructed schools to eliminate those initiatives.

• This month, the Trump administration yanked $400 million in federal grants and contracts from Columbia University, citing the school's "continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students."
• Trump has also threatened to crack down on dissenters at college campuses across the U.S., warning his administration will revoke visas for foreign students it deems to be "Hamas sympathizers" and deport "pro-jihadist" demonstrators.

Catch up quick: Protests over the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war erupted across college campuses last spring, including at UPenn.

• UPenn responded by banning protesters from school grounds and placing several students who participated in demonstrations on leave.

Reality check: College campuses have long served as arenas for protests, especially anti-war demonstrations.

• The First Amendment's freedom of speech and assembly provisions allow for protests in certain public spaces.
• Protests can be limited through reasonable "time, place, and manner" restrictions — though they must be content-neutral and apply regardless of viewpoint, according to the ACLU.

Sara Rose, deputy legal director at ACLU of Pennsylvania, tells Axios Trump's threats "are meant to chill and intimidate schools that afford their students opportunities to exercise their First Amendment right to free speech."

• The civil rights group says it'll fight any attempts from the Trump admin or a university to limit students' free speech rights.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to add comment from Temple University, Swarthmore College and the ACLU of Pennsylvania.