The Nexus Project, a Jewish American organization working to combat antisemitism, uphold democracy and protect free speech, condemned President Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education as a dangerous move that eliminates critical civil rights protections for students — while doing nothing to address the very real concerns of antisemitism on campuses.
Kevin Rachlin, Washington Director of the Nexus Project, shared the following statement:
“This executive order reveals the profound hypocrisy of an administration that claims to care about Jewish safety while dismantling the very institution responsible for investigating antisemitism cases and enforcing civil rights protections.
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the Department of Education has been essential in addressing discrimination faced by Jewish students and other marginalized groups. The Trump White House is eliminating this agency with no transparent plan for what will happen to dozens of active antisemitism investigations, who will be responsible for them, or whether they will be pursued at all. By destroying and abandoning this critical oversight, they are making clear that their true goal is slashing federal services and advancing their political agenda — not making Jewish students safer.
A genuine commitment to fighting antisemitism would require strengthening civil rights enforcement, not gutting it. Effective approaches must include education, prevention, and enforcement mechanisms that address the root causes of hatred while protecting the constitutional rights of all Americans. This executive order accomplishes none of these goals — and in fact makes discrimination at the state and local levels more likely.
While claiming to champion Jewish safety, this administration has consistently elevated figures who promote antisemitic conspiracy theories and rhetoric. This latest action further demonstrates that they are more interested in exploiting our community’s legitimate fears than in taking meaningful and effective action to protect Jewish Americans on campus and beyond.
The Department of Education, like all federal departments, can only be closed by an act of Congress. The Nexus Project calls on Congress to maintain, uphold and strengthen the department. Responsible lawmakers should work with Jewish community leaders, civil rights experts, and educators to develop meaningful strategies that effectively combat antisemitism while strengthening, not weakening, our democratic institutions and civil rights protections for all.”