The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism today notified leaders of Chicago and three other cities that it wants to meet to discuss the municipalities’ response to incidents of antisemitism at schools and on college campuses during the last two years.

New York City, Los Angeles and Boston are also on the Task Force’s list.

The Task Force created pursuant to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism, told the cities it wanted to engage with local leadership, including the mayors, district or city attorneys, and local law enforcement.

Leo Terrell, Task Force member and senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights, informed Mayors Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Eric Adams of New York, Karen Bass of Los Angeles and Michelle Wu of Boston that the Task Force was aware of allegations that the schools in their respective cities may have failed to protect Jewish students from unlawful discrimination, in potential violation of federal law.

Terrell said he intends for the Task Force to meet with city leadership, impacted students, local law enforcement, and community members as it gathers information about incidents and considers whether federal intervention is warranted.

“Too many elected officials chose not to stand up to a rising tide of antisemitism in our cities and campuses following the horrific events of Oct. 7, 2023,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said of the Hamas-led attack on Israel. “Actions have consequences – inaction does, too.”

“The Task Force looks forward to meeting with the mayors and other municipal leaders in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston to quickly and effectively identify ways that, working together or apart, we return safety, civility, and sanity to our nation’s schools,” Terrell said. “These meetings, in conjunction with our visits to university campuses around the country, are just two of the many actions President Trump and Attorney General Bondi are taking to end this scourge of anti-Semitism.”

Individuals feeling they have been discriminated against can file a complaint with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at civilrights.justice.gov.