America First Policy Institute opens investigation into University of Maryland over DEI, immigration policies
The conservative policy group says the university may be violating federal anti-discrimination and immigration laws and has notified school officials of a formal probe.
The group cites diversity offices, LGBT-related programs, and services for illegal immigrants in its formal investigation of the public university.
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has announced an investigation into the University of Maryland over potential violations of the federal government’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and illegal immigration policies.
The policy institute notified the university about the investigation on Dec. 9, and publicly announced it in a press release on Dec. 22. AFPI is also investigating Sandia National Laboratories, Bechtel Corporation, Honeywell International, Inc., and Leland Stanford Junior University for similar alleged violations, according to the press release.
[RELATED: Lehigh University facing civil rights complaint over race-based postdoc program]
In its Dec. 9 letter to the University of Maryland, the policy institute describes its concern that the school “violated and is continuing to violate federal anti-discrimination and immigration laws.”
“Our concerns arise from publicly available information AFPI has reviewed, suggesting UMD’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion may employ discriminatory and unlawful ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ policies,” the letter says.
“Furthermore, publicly available information that AFPI has reviewed concerning assistance that UMD provides to illegal aliens may also violate federal immigration law,” it adds.
AFPI specifically points to the university’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, LGBTQ-based scholarships, “LGBTQ Inclusive Locker Rooms,” and various services in support of illegal immigrants.
Campus Reform reported in March that the University of Maryland maintains the Office of Immigrant and Undocumented Student Life, whose mission is to “support faculty/staff with training on the assets, challenges, and advocacy needed for undocumented students on campus.” The university also offers “UndocuTraining.”
AFPI’s Dec. 9 letter cites a July 29 memo from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi that threatens the loss of federal funding for institutions that fail to comply with federal restrictions on DEI.
[RELATED: 5 times Americans pushed back against universities this year]
“DEI has become a cover for illegal discrimination — and the federal government will no longer allow taxpayer dollars to fund it,” Leigh Ann O’Neill, AFPI’s chief legal affairs officer, said in the Dec. 22 press release.
“The Attorney General made it clear last July that every federal contractor and grant recipient must eliminate race-based and sex-based decision-making,” she continued. “These organizations receive billions in federal funds. They do not get to break the law.”
“Our job is simple: ensure every recipient of federal money follows the law,” Skyler McCann, a law clerk for AFPI, said. “The public deserves answers, and these companies and universities need to explain exactly how their DEI programs operate — and whether they violate civil-rights law.”
The America First Policy Institute previously filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice against Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in June.
The complaint alleges the school engages in discriminatory DEI programs and offers scholarships limited by race and sex.
Campus Reform contacted the University of Maryland for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
