Harmeet Dhillon, a former lawyer for President Donald Trump and his nominee to lead the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, pledged at her confirmation hearing to confront antisemitism on college campuses if confirmed.

“We’ve seen antisemitism sweep the nation, and it is very problematic that many people of the Jewish faith are barred by professors and fellow students from access to the classroom,” Dhillon said. “In addition to race, I would see religious discrimination and other forms of discrimination on campus as an appropriate target for the Civil Rights Division.”

She said that she would commit to enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which bans discrimination on the basis of shared ancestry at universities that receive federal funding.

The comments suggest that the Trump administration may see an expanded role for the Department of Justice in combating campus antisemitism, a portfolio that was largely handled by the Department of Education’s own Office for Civil Rights during the Biden administration.

The future of that office and campus antisemitism enforcement responsibilities are in question given the Trump administration’s potential plans to eliminate or significantly downsize the Department of Education. Some reports have suggested that the OCR’s responsibilities could transfer to the DOJ.

Dhillon’s more specific views and plans, including her past opposition to the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which codifies the first Trump administration’s executive order classifying antisemitism as a form of unlawful discrimination under Title VI, were not addressed at the hearing.

Dhillon has described the legislation and hate speech legislation as “knee-jerk anti-constitutional dreck.”