WASHINGTON

The US Department of Education on Monday announced two new investigations into racial biases at Harvard University.

According to the department, its civil rights office launched the probes "amid allegations that it continues to discriminate against students on the basis of race, color, and national origin" in violation of federal law.

The office will investigate whether Harvard continues to use "illegal race-based preferences" in admissions despite the Supreme Court’s 2023 definitive ruling.

It will "also investigate alleged ongoing antisemitic harassment on Harvard’s campus and the institution’s purported failure to protect Jewish students," the department said in a statement.

The Trump administration has controversially pressured several universities, including Harvard, over their handling of campus protests — including pro-Palestine demonstrations — as well as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.