An aggressive investigation ordered by a top Trump appointee into student protesters at Columbia University has sparked significant tension within the Justice Department, as many career prosecutors view the move as politically motivated and legally dubious. The investigation, prompted by protests against Israel's military actions in Gaza, faced pushback from a federal magistrate judge concerned about potential First Amendment violations. Efforts to secure a membership list from the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group were met with resistance, as prosecutors feared it was a pretext for intimidation and deportation. An attempt to obtain a search warrant for the group's Instagram account was rejected twice by judges, who found insufficient probable cause. The situation has led to increased distrust between political appointees and civil rights prosecutors, highlighting a shift in the department's focus toward fulfilling campaign promises rather than protecting minority rights.

The investigation was initiated by Emil Bove III, a senior official in the Justice Department, targeting student protesters at Columbia University for opposing Israel's actions in Gaza, leading to significant concern among career prosecutors about political motivations and legal justifications.

Prosecutors in the civil rights division were instructed to gather a membership list of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group, but they resisted due to concerns about First Amendment rights and the amorphous nature of online forums, believing the investigation might facilitate an intimidation campaign.

Attempts to obtain a search warrant for the group's Instagram account were contentious, as the justification was deemed legally insufficient by line prosecutors and ultimately rejected by federal judges twice, exacerbating tensions within the department.

The investigation has stalled, but the conflict has deepened the rift between political appointees in Washington and career prosecutors, with accusations of using law enforcement powers to intimidate protesters, which a law professor criticized as unethical and unprofessional.

The case highlights a broader shift in the Justice Department's focus under the Trump administration, moving away from traditional civil rights protections towards targeting student protests under the guise of combating antisemitism, leading to an exodus of lawyers from the civil rights division.