Lawyers slam Michigan for ‘intimidating’ pro-Palestinian students with raids

Human Rights activists and legal experts have slammed the US state of Michigan and the FBI for conducting a “witch hunt” against pro-Palestinian protesters in what they say is an excessive use of force.

On Wednesday, the FBI and local law enforcement agencies raided several homes of both current and former American students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 

Protests have been ongoing at the campus since Israel launched its war on Gaza following the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks on southern Israel. The demonstrations have called on the university to divest from companies doing business with Israel and Israeli entities. 

Amir Makled, an attorney representing some of the students who were targeted, called the raids a “witch hunt” designed to deter students from pro-Palestinian demonstrations. 

“I feel this is another intimidation tactic. I feel that this is another way to show an overreaching amount of force that’s highly unusual in an attempt to chill the speech of these students and dissuade others from being part of pro-Palestinian advocacy,” he told Middle East Eye.

On Thursday, Michigan’s attorney general’s office released a statement describing “a significant police presence” in the cities of Ann Arbor, Canton and Ypsilanti, where police and federal agents executed search warrants at five locations. 

“The search warrants, authorized by the 45th District Court, were executed in furtherance of the Michigan Department of Attorney General’s yearlong investigation into coordinated criminal acts of vandalism and property damage occurring in multiple counties in southeastern Michigan,” the statement said. 

The statement included more than a dozen photographs showing homes -including those of University of Michigan president Santa Ono and the school’s regent Jordan Acker – and cars painted with red graffiti saying “Coward” and “Divest. Free Palestine.” 

Other properties painted with graffiti slamming Israel and smeared with red paint included a historical mansion, a Raymond James office and a Maersk office. 

Targeted for supporting Palestine

Liz Jacob, staff attorney at the Sugar Law Center in Detroit, told MEE she was called at 7am by people affected by the raids.

“It feels they are targeting students who have been vocal about Palestine,” she told MEE. 

“We saw the search warrants. They don’t include a reason for the warrants. No probable cause named. There have been no criminal charges made against the people impacted,” she added. 

“The only thing connecting these folks is with the University of Michigan and the fact they have advocated for Palestine. It makes it hard to see it as anything but politically motivated,” she said.

She added that under Michigan law, whether a warrant states probable cause falls a under a judge’s discretion. A judge can withhold naming it on the warrant under “exceptional circumstances”.  

Jacob questioned whether the acts of alleged vandalism met that requirement. She said that students were left without laptops as they went into their final exams. 

‘Aggressive raids’

Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, also criticised the raids as “aggressive”. He said that they were “politically motivated”.

“Property was damaged during the raids and individuals were handcuffed without charges during these aggressive raids,” he told MEE. 

The attorney general’s office said that one entryway was breached during the execution of one warrant.  

Walid said that the raids fit a pattern that has been followed by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who he accused of “targeting pro-Palestinian protesters.” 

Walid said that Nessel has also been “hostile” towards Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib – the only Palestinian American member of Congress, because she accused her of “antisemitism”.

“When looking at these other events, we believe the raids are politically charged,” he added.

Walid said it was the first time the FBI was involved in Michigan in clamping down on pro-Palestinian advocacy.

“An arrest warrant looking for potential vandalism would be executed by local law enforcement,” he said.

Makled also said he filed a motion to have Nessel removed and disqualified as the prosecutor in a case relating to 2024 pro-Palestinian protests because he was concerned about her being “biased”.

“Dana Nessel is not impartial in this cause,” he said.

Makled cited an investigation by The Guardian in October 2024 that found Nessel was favoured by the University of Michigan governing board to be a prosecutor because she was expected to take a hard line on students.

In a previous investigation, Nessel asked a special prosecutor to take over her case citing “perceptions” that she was  biased against “Arabs and Muslims”. 

The University of Michigan refused to comment on the raids.