Judge Approves Trump Effort to Obtain List of Jews From University of Pennsylvania

The New York Times • March 31, 2026 • nation

Key Points:

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration was within its rights to demand the University of Pennsylvania provide information about Jewish individuals on campus as part of a discrimination investigation.
The subpoena, issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), sought names and contact information of Jewish faculty and staff potentially affected by workplace antisemitism.
University leaders and Jewish community members opposed the subpoena, comparing the government's approach to tactics used in Nazi Germany, but the judge found the request valid and narrowly tailored.
Judge Gerald J. Pappert emphasized that despite the subpoena's "inept" wording, it served a legitimate purpose in identifying potential victims and witnesses of discrimination.
The University of Pennsylvania has until May 1 to comply with the subpoena, though debates continue over the administration's methods in pressuring universities during such investigations.

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