The Department of Justice has launched a 15-city National Awareness & Action Tour to combat antisemitism, the administration announced Monday. Led by Leo Terrell, chair of the DOJ’s Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, the initiative aims to directly pressure local communities, school districts, and law enforcement agencies that have allowed antisemitic incidents to fester.

The Justice Department outlined specific goals for the tour: increasing reporting of antisemitic incidents by local officials, strengthening collaboration between local law enforcement, federal agencies, and Jewish communities, and building interfaith opposition to antisemitism among Jewish, Baptist Christian, Catholic, and Muslim groups.

Additionally, the tour will address antisemitism in K-12 schools and teacher unions to ensure students are protected from discrimination and harassment. Terrell, who will personally lead the tour, will meet with impacted communities while identifying practical local solutions.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the national tour demonstrates the federal government’s readiness to work with communities to confront antisemitic threats, protect public safety, and uphold civil rights. Blanche also noted President Trump’s clear stance that his administration will not tolerate antisemitism.

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward emphasized: “Jewish Americans deserve to live, work, worship, and send their children to school without fear of harassment, intimidation, or violence.”

The DOJ framed the initiative as a civil-rights enforcement priority, signaling that Washington has grown weary of waiting for local officials to act independently. Terrell detailed plans for an internal Department of Justice Antisemitism Advisory Committee, which will recommend coordinated responses to antisemitic incidents. He stated he had submitted nominees to President Trump after receiving approval from Acting Attorney General Blanche to launch both the committee and the tour.

Terrell stressed the need for direct action at the local level, pointing to failures in cities, school districts, prosecutors’ offices, school boards, and superintendent offices. He argued that communities require immediate pressure and practical solutions rather than reports that vanish into bureaucratic channels.

The administration’s approach targets institutions that have long tolerated open antisemitism, including colleges and K-12 schools. Terrell also called for greater Jewish American participation in local elections to ensure officials closest to schools and city halls are held accountable.

This tour marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s strategy of treating antisemitism as a front-line civil-rights issue. By deploying federal leadership directly into communities, the initiative aims to hold school boards, union leaders, and local prosecutors accountable for ignoring antisemitic conduct.