US EditionUniversity of Michigan Axes Contracts After Surveillance of Pro-Palestinian Activists Reported
- The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor terminated contracts with private security firms after reports emerged of undercover surveillance on pro-Palestinian student protesters by June 9, 2025.
- The university began hiring plainclothes security contractors in July 2024 to monitor suspicious activity in high-traffic areas but faced criticism amid allegations of surveillance and harassment.
- Five students reported being followed by undercover investigators, some linked to the Detroit-based firm City Shield, and several protesters faced trespassing charges before those were dropped in May 2025.
- Interim President Domenico Grasso called the contractor's behavior "disturbing, unacceptable, and unethical" and confirmed ending all plainclothes security contracts, while CAIR-Michigan demanded an independent investigation.
- The university's decision suggests an effort to restore trust and address concerns over civil liberties after private security missteps amid campus protests and legal actions against students.
22 Articles
22 Articles
U-M Drops Private Investigator Firm Following Accusations of Surveilling Pro-Palestinian Student Activists
Photo: Junfu Han ~ USA TODAY NETWORK DETROIT, June 10, 2025 ~ The University of Michigan has parted ways with a private investigator firm after pro-Palestinian student activists accused the university of surveilling their daily activities. An investigation by The Guardian found that at least five student activists corroborated accounts of being threatened and followed, on and off campus, by private investigators from Detroit-based company City …
University of Michigan severs ties with security company after personnel followed students
The University of Michigan says they have severed ties with several private security companies hired to patrol high traffic areas on campus, but many students, including pro-Palestinian demonstrators, say their actions have amounted to surveillance.
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