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FBI raids homes, briefly detains UMich anti-Israel protesters following vandalism incidents

FBI agents break down door, seize belongings

The FBI and local law enforcement raided three homes and briefly detained University of Michigan anti-Israel protesters Wednesday.

The raids took place in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Canton in relation to “reported crimes committed in the City of Ann Arbor as well as other jurisdictions,” a spokesperson for the Michigan Attorney General’s office told MLive.

He also told the outlet officials are “not discussing the nature of the investigation at this time,” but “there is no immigration enforcement angle to the execution of these search warrants.”

“One raid took place around 8:30 a.m. in the 200 block of North Summit Street in Ypsilanti. A second raid took place in the 50000 block of Scarborough Road in Canton, with roughly 20 people gathered outside around 10:40 a.m. It is unclear where in Ann Arbor the other raid took place,” MLive reported.

Steven McGuire, a fellow in campus freedom at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, reported the news in a post on X showing a video of FBI agents holding the suspects outside their home.

He also reported that “Crowds gathered at two of the locations to call the police Nazis.”

A pro-Palestinian advocacy group called the TAHRIR Coalition posted a video to Instagram showing FBI agents breaking down the door of one home.

The caption states that the law enforcement officers “refus[ed] to show warrants” and “seized all electronics and a number of personal belongings.” According to the TAHRIR Coalition, a total of eight residents were detained and then released.

 

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The raids come amid investigations into vandalism incidents targeting UM leaders last year, though it’s unclear if the raids are directly related to those events.

In May 2024, activists targeted the homes of UM regents Mark Bernstein and Sarah Hubbard. Protesters placed fake bloody body bags on Hubbard’s lawn and hung demands on the regents’ doors for the university to divest from Israel and defund campus police, The College Fix previously reported.

In October, vandals spray-painted anti-Israel graffiti, including words like “intifada,” “coward,” and “divest,” in red on UM President Santa Ono’s home.

Then, in December, attackers threw mason jars filled with urine through the windows of Regent Jordan Acker’s home and spray-painted his wife’s car with “Divest and Free Palestine” alongside a Hamas-associated symbol.

MORE: UMich to shut down DEI office, discontinue DEI programming

IMAGE CREDIT AND CAPTION: FBI agent stands outside activist’s home; Steve McGuire/X

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About the Author
Gabrielle Temaat is an assistant editor at The College Fix. She holds a B.S. in economics from Barrett, the Honors College, at Arizona State University. She has years of editorial experience at the Daily Caller and various family policy councils. She also works as a tutor in all subjects and is deeply passionate about mentoring students.