A University of Michigan student has initiated legal action against the institution, alleging that his constitutional rights were violated through a covert surveillance campaign targeting his protests against Israel's military actions in Gaza.
Lawsuit Details
The lawsuit, set to be filed in federal court by Cair-MI and student Josiah Walker, claims the university and private investigators conspired to intimidate, terrorize, and retaliate against Walker during 2024 and 2025. The complaint alleges falsified police reports, illegal stalking, assault, property seizure, and malicious prosecutions.
According to the suit, the relentless campaign caused Walker significant psychological trauma. Amy Doukoure of Cair-MI stated, "He modified his entire way of life because of this. He was always in a heightened state of anxiety."
Walker's Role in Protests
Walker is a leader of Students Allied For Freedom and Equality (Safe), a group affiliated with Students for Justice in Palestine, and volunteers with the campus Muslim chaplaincy. The Guardian revealed in June 2025 that the university had hired dozens of undercover investigators to monitor pro-Palestinian students, trailing them both on and off campus, recording conversations, and sometimes threatening them.
Video footage captured an investigator driving a car at Walker, forcing him to jump out of the way. After the Guardian's report, the university terminated the private investigation firm and apologized for some actions.
Constitutional Violations Alleged
The lawsuit alleges violations of Walker's First Amendment right to free speech, as well as Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment privacy rights. It claims police manipulated reports to access his Google Drive and email. The suit also argues that the private investigators lacked legal authority to conduct undercover surveillance under Michigan law.
In 2024, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel brought trespassing charges against Walker, which the lawsuit contends relied on a falsified report. Walker was falsely imprisoned over these allegations, violating his right to due process.
Specific Incidents
The charges stem from a May 2024 raid on a Gaza encampment. Walker contacted police to retrieve seized religious items like prayer mats and was assured he would face no consequences. However, at the station, an officer issued him a trespass warning. The university ignored requests for a copy of the report, which the suit alleges was falsified.
Body-camera footage allegedly shows officers plotting to arrest Walker at a September 2024 campus festival, even if he did nothing wrong. Officers tackled, beat, and arrested him on charges of resisting arrest and trespassing. The lawsuit states this "demonstrates a deliberate conspiracy to violate his constitutional rights."
Walker spent a night in county jail. Nessel did not file the resisting charge and dropped trespassing charges after the Guardian exposed her connections to university leadership who encouraged prosecution. The dismissal "confirmed what had always been apparent: the case lacked legal merit," the lawsuit says.
Broader Context
This suit is part of a wave of legal actions by students across the US alleging civil rights violations during university crackdowns on Gaza protests. The University of Maryland and University of California regent have paid damages in similar cases, while Columbia University was ordered to reverse punishments.
Walker's suit also alleges the university fabricated accusations to access his email after he recorded an investigator. The investigator claimed Walker assaulted him with a camera flash, but no charges were filed. The lawsuit contends U-M has never used such tactics against other protest movements, only those advocating for Palestinian rights.
In one instance, body-camera footage shows police acknowledging pro-Israel protesters were violating laws, but only pro-Palestinian counterprotesters were arrested. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and punitive measures against the university and private investigators.
