The Michigan chapter of Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today filed a civil rights complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, against the Wayne State University Police Department (WSU PD) for engaging in a documented pattern of racial and religious profiling, harassment, and the unconstitutional exclusion of Muslim, Arab, and pro-Palestinian, anti-genocide students on campus.
The complaint alleges that WSU PD officers unlawfully used force against peaceful student protesters, demanded immigration documents from students without legal authority, and repeatedly denied Arab and Muslim students access to public university spaces and events—often without cause or legal justification. It further asserts that these discriminatory actions were neither isolated nor accidental but constitute an official pattern and practice reflective of a broader institutional failure at Wayne State University.
The complaint is supported by numerous first-hand student narratives, video documentation, public statements by Wayne County Prosecutor, Kym Worthy, and correspondence from prior incidents involving WSU PD. It details discriminatory conduct spanning from Late 2023 through April 2025, including the suppression of peaceful protest, retaliatory ID checks, and threats made by officers toward students wearing religious or cultural attire.
CAIR-MI has also issued letters to Wayne State University leadership requesting a formal meeting to discuss how the university intends to address the misconduct and prevent further civil rights violations.
The letter issued alongside today’s civil rights complaint, is one of many over the past year and a half that CAIR-MI has submitted to WSU administration, all of which have either went completely ignored, or have resulted in inaction by the University related to the events detailed therein. The organization has indicated that it is prepared to pursue litigation if necessary.
“This is not about one officer or one incident,” said CAIR-MI Executive Director, Dawud Walid. “This is about a systemic culture of profiling and exclusion that has created a hostile environment for Muslim and Arab students at Wayne State. These students deserve to be treated with dignity and equality—not suspicion and surveillance. We will continue to advocate vigorously until their full rights on campus are restored.”
“The allegations contained in this complaint are not only morally repugnant—they are legally indefensible,” said CAIR-MI Staff Attorney, Amy V. Doukoure. “Wayne State University is a public institution bound by the U.S. Constitution and federal civil rights laws. When campus police officers demand passports, target students for wearing keffiyehs, or use physical force on peaceful protesters, they are violating core constitutional protections. The law is clear—and we are prepared to pursue all available legal remedies to protect these students.”
This action comes amid a broader national trend of increasing discrimination against Muslim and Arab students. According to CAIR’s 2025 Civil Rights Report, the organization received 8,658 complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab incidents in 2024, marking a 7.4% increase from the previous year and the highest number since CAIR began collecting data in 1996. Many of these complaints involved educational institutions, where students faced harassment and suppression of their First Amendment rights, particularly when expressing pro-Palestinian views.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR-MI Executive Director, Dawud Walid (248) 842-1418, dwalid@cair.com, CAIR-MI Staff Attorney, Amy V. Doukoure (586) 943-8823, adoukoure@cair.com