FBI raids homes of pro-Palestinian activists in Michigan

US federal and local law enforcement officials conducted early morning raids at three residences in southeast Michigan on Wednesday as part of a multi-jurisdictional investigation into alleged acts of vandalism, sparking condemnation from civil rights groups and legal representatives of the targeted individuals.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office and local police departments, searched homes in Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Canton.

According to the attorney general’s office, the searches were part of an ongoing probe into acts of vandalism reported in multiple jurisdictions.

These include incidents last year in which the homes of University of Michigan President Santa Ono and Regent Jordan Acker were defaced with red paint and slogans such as “Free Palestine.”

No arrests were made, but seven individuals were briefly detained during the searches.

Personal belongings, including electronics and communication materials, were confiscated, attorneys confirmed.

“There was no reason noted in the search warrants for the underlying probable cause,” said Liz Jacob, a lawyer with Sugar Law representing several of those detained. “They were looking for red and black paint and communication records.”

Videos shared by pro-Palestinian student groups showed officers using battering rams to enter a residence in Ypsilanti. The raids drew immediate protests from student organisations and rights advocates.

Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), criticised what he described as “heavy-handed, almost military-style” tactics.

“These are allegations that typically amount to misdemeanours,” Walid said. “We believe the nature of the individuals involved influenced the scale of the operation.”

The attorney general’s office confirmed that immigration enforcement agencies were not involved and that all subjects were American citizens.

While law enforcement agencies have not yet publicly detailed any charges, critics say the timing and scale of the operation reflect a broader crackdown on student protest movements across the US

“This is just an escalation of the kind of targeting we’ve already seen toward pro-Palestine protesters at the University of Michigan,” Jacob said. “It’s reaching scary, scary depths.”