Law enforcement storms 5 residences in Michigan, targeting a 12-month probe into defacement incidents linked to pro-Palestinian graffiti.
Revamped Rewrite
House Raids Across Michigan: A Yearlong Investigation Unfolds
Authorities stormed five residences in southeastern Michigan on a sweltering Wednesday, kicking off a lengthy probe into vandalism incidents associated with pro-Palestinian graffiti targeted at the abodes of University of Michigan bigwigs and others.
Search warrants, authorized by a Michigan state court, were executed in Ann Arbor, Canton, and Ypsilanti, as per a Thursday communication from the Michigan Department of Attorney General. The homeowners under scrutiny were not apprehended, although some were briefly detained and subsequently released, officials confirmed.
This law enforcement action formed part of the Michigan Department of Attorney General's investigation into over a dozen "interconnected" and violent acts of vandalism and property damages that occurred in numerous Michigan counties between roughly February 2024 and March 2025. Estimated damages totalled roughly $100,000, according to authorities.
"Today's search warrants aren't geared toward investigating on-campus demonstrations or the Diag encampment's activities; instead, they're an expansion of our investigation into multijurisdictional acts of vandalism," the attorney general's office explained to CNN on Wednesday. A collaborative effort by local, state, and federal law enforcement was involved in these searches.
Political slogans or messages were daubed on every vandalized site, the attorney general's office detailed. Graffiti promulgating pro-Palestinian sentiments invaded most of the sites, photographs revealed.
Notable University of Michigan administrators were among the victims.
Erik Lundberg, the university's chief investment officer, saw his dwelling marred with the words "Divest" and "Free Palestine." University of Michigan President Santa Ono's home bore graffiti with the word "intifada" among other phrases. Jordan Acker, a member of the university's Board of Regents, suffered a forced window entry and the words "Free Palestine" scrawled on his vehicle. His law firm too was assaulted with pro-Palestinian rhetoric. Photos of Laurie McCauley's home showed shattered glass and the words "No honor in genocide" scribbled on her fence.
No indictments have been brought against those whose homes were targeted, agents stated. The attorney general's office refused to reveal any potential suspects in the investigation.
"The University of Michigan disavows these criminal actions in the strongest possible terms," the institution's declaration made in December following Acker's home being vandalized asserted. "Such actions are repellent and, unfortunately, just the latest in a series of instances where individuals have been harassed due to their work for the university. This behavior will not be tolerated."
The Maurice & Jane Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice, representing two of the individuals whose homes were raided, revealed most of the individuals were students at the University of Michigan. When questioned regarding the vandalism at Acker's home, the attorneys denied their clients were complicit in the crime.
John Philo, the legal director at the sugar law center, told CNN on Thursday that the individuals were being pursued for their pro-Palestinian beliefs.
"The students targeted appear to be those that UM officials believe are most actively involved in campus protests - protests that, at times, have been loud, but which in no way can be characterized as violent or causing significant vandalism," Philo elaborated. "A real question exists as to why student campus protestors are being targeted, or whether the purpose is simply because they are expressing that viewpoint on UM's campus."
The incidents followed months of tension between the university's administration and pro-Palestinian students who, in 2024, had demanded university leaders divest from Israel amidst its war in Gaza.
Additional instances of vandalism and property damage transpired at the Jewish Federation of Detroit, an officer's residence, a country club, a car dealership, an office, and the historic Wilcox House, according to the attorney general's office.
The alleged vandalisms unfolded under the cover of night, and in one instance, children rested at a residence but were awakened, the attorney general's office disclosed. Windows were shattered in several situations, and "malodorous chemical substances" were propelled into homes on two occasions.
The TAHRIR Coalition, a pro-Palestinian student organization at the University of Michigan, asserted that FBI agents, Michigan State Police, and local law enforcement officers detained six activists whose homes were searched in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Personal belongings and electronics were also confiscated, according to the organization. A third residence in Canton observed no arrests. At least one of the individuals was obliged to submit a DNA sample, as per Philo.
At one of the homes raided on Wednesday, police broke in after negotiations to acquire entry lasted over an hour to meet the requirements of the search warrant, the attorney general's office reported.
The Graduate Employees' Organization, a union representing graduate workers at the University of Michigan, claimed one of its members was among those detained and released, and the officers executing the search warrants were loath to share the warrants or their rationale for visiting these activists.
"We resolutely denounce the actions taken today, along with any past and present suppression of political activism," the organization communicated in a report. "We urge University of Michigan administrators, the Regents of the University of Michigan, and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to discontinue their campaign against students and stop jeopardizing graduate workers."
Philo suggested that the multi-agency response to alleged vandalism was excessive.
"None of these students have any history of violence, none have prior criminal records, and none have been charged. They are 17-22 year olds and students or recent graduates," Philo commented. "Why were three or more police agencies present at every home? Why were they handcuffed during the searches?"
- The multijurisdictional acts of vandalism and property damages, which were mostly associated with pro-Palestinian graffiti, under investigation by the Michigan Department of Attorney General, have resulted in us searching homes in Michigan cities like Ann Arbor, Canton, and Ypsilanti.
- As part of a collaborative effort between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, we executed search warrants that were issued by a Michigan state court, vandalizing homes, including those of notable University of Michigan administrators, such as Erik Lundberg, Santa Ono, and Jordan Acker.
- While some homeowners were briefly detained and then released, no indictments have been brought against those whose homes were targeted, and the attorney general's office has yet to reveal any potential suspects in the crime.
- In the general-news and crime-and-justice realm, the political slogans and messages sprayed on vandalized sites, including pro-Palestinian sentiments, have sparked debate about repercussions for student activists and the extent to which politics should influence law enforcement actions.
