Ypsilanti, Michigan - Federal, state, and local law enforcement on Wednesday raided the homes of Palestine solidarity activists who participated in protests at the University of Michigan.

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies broke into homes in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Canton in what authorities have described as a vandalism probe, but which others have said is an attempt to stifle pro-Palestinian protests.

"Everyone who was raided has taken part in protest and has some relationship to the University of Michigan," Liz Jacob, an attorney representing several of the protesters, told the Detroit Free Press. "We are totally convinced that, but for their viewpoints, these students would not have been targeted."

Footage on social media showed law enforcement officers ramming through the door of a home in Ypsilanti. "No search warrant was provided," someone says in the video.

Joke of the Day Joke of the Day for April 22, 2025: A funny to make you laugh on Earth Day

According to MLive, three people in Ypsilanti were brought out of the home in handcuffs before being released around 15 minutes later.

"These search warrants were not investigative of protest activity on the campus of the University of Michigan nor the Diag Encampment," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. "Today's search warrants are in furtherance of our investigation into multijurisdictional acts of vandalism and destruction of property including those committed against multiple homes, organizations, and businesses in multiple counties across the state."

Nessel added that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was not involved and that nobody had been arrested, though several people had been "briefly detained and released."

The Democratic AG last September announced criminal charges for 11 Palestinian human rights activists linked to University of Michigan campus protests in Ann Arbor.

Many activists and advocates have denounced the actions as the latest attempt to silence people who oppose Israel's US-backed atrocities in Palestine.

The University of Michigan Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO) – a union affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers – said one of its members had been targeted in Wednesday's raids.

GEO issued a statement, saying: "We strongly condemn the actions taken today and all past and present repression of political activism. We urge University of Michigan administrators, the Regents of the University of Michigan, and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to end their campaign against students and stop putting graduate workers in harm’s way."

Viral Video of the Day Viral Video of the Day for April 22, 2025: Woman's comical reaction to store blasting pop music goes viral

The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations also condemned Wednesday's actions: "We call into question the aggressive nature of this morning’s raids of activists’ homes, which follows the recent misuse of prosecutorial power in Michigan and throughout our country against pro-Palestinian activists," said Executive Director Dawud Walid.

"In any other context, such minor infractions would be handled by local law enforcement or referred to local, elected prosecutors – not escalated to federal intervention," Walid continued.

"This disproportionate response further fuels the perception that Muslim and Arab students, and those who stand in solidarity with them, are being treated overly hostile by law enforcement compared to those who commit harm toward American Muslims."