University of Michigan Police talk to a participant and demands that he remove the flag, as pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather for a mock trial against the University of Michigan's Board of Regents on the university's campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on April 21, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Detroit, April 24 (RHC)--U.S. law enforcement officials, including the FBI and local agencies, have executed a series of search warrants at multiple homes of pro-Palestine activists linked to the University of Michigan.
According to a union group, agents detained and questioned several individuals and confiscated electronic devices and personal belongings during the raids on Wednesday.
The raids were reportedly carried out in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Canton, at the request of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
"We strongly condemn the actions taken today and all past and present repression of political activism," the Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO) said in a statement.
It demanded accountability from university officials and the attorney general.
"In Ann Arbor, officers detained and questioned two activists, including a member of GEO, and confiscated their electronic devices,” the graduate student workers' union said. "In Ypsilanti, officers detained and released four individuals," it added.
In Canton, it noted, officers raided one residence and seized personal belongings from multiple residences and at least two cars. The statement explained that law enforcement officials refused to provide search warrants or explain the reasons behind the raids.
No injuries were reported and no visa holders were known to be affected, it added. In Ypsilanti, police confirmed their presence via a social media post.
"The Ypsilanti Police Department (YPD) was made aware that the FBI and Michigan State Police would be conducting a search warrant at a location on Summit this morning,” it said.
Emphasizing that immigration was not involved, it added, “YPD has been brought in to secure the scene, given that a crowd has assembled.”
Under President Donald Trump, the United States has seen an intensifying crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists, particularly on university campuses and within immigrant communities.
On campuses across the country, student organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) have faced increasing scrutiny. Several universities, including Rutgers and Columbia, have suspended or disciplined pro-Palestinian students under accusations of “anti-Semitism” or “support for terrorism.”
Activists and legal advocates, however, argue that these measures are a direct attack on free speech and an attempt to silence dissent against US policies supporting Israel.
Pro-Palestine activists have been targeted in Europe as well. In October, Britain's so-called counterterrorism police raided the home of Asa Winstanley, a pro-Palestine investigative journalist and associate editor of the online publication Electronic Intifada, confiscating several of his electronic devices.
The raid came after police in Germany late in September raided the homes of five pro-Palestinian activists in Berlin in its latest Islamophobic move.
