A coalition of Jewish groups is criticizing the Trump administration for actions it has taken at U.S. universities, saying the stripping of student visas and cutting of grant funding creates a “false choice between confronting antisemitism and upholding democracy.”

A number of Jewish groups in recent weeks have argued that combating the real problem of antisemitism cannot come at the expense of civil rights.

“In recent weeks, escalating federal actions have used the guise of fighting antisemitism to justify stripping students of due process rights when they face arrest and/or deportation, as well as to threaten billions in academic research and education funding. Students have been arrested at home and on the street with no transparency as to why they are being held or deported, and in certain cases with the implication that they are being punished for their constitutionally-protected speech,” the groups wrote in a join statement spearheaded by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, a nonpartisan civil rights group.

“Universities have an obligation to protect Jewish students, and the federal government has an important role to play in that effort; however, sweeping draconian funding cuts will weaken the free academic inquiry that strengthens democracy and society, rather than productively counter antisemitism on campus. These actions do........

© The Hill