Lawsuit alleges University of Michigan and private security contractors engaged in an unconstitutional campaign to punish and silence pro-Palestinian speech on campus
(ANN ARBOR, MI, May 21, 2026) — The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), the Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice, and partners today announced the filing of a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Josiah Walker, a Black Muslim student advocate at the University of Michigan, alleging that the university, university officials, campus police, and private security contractors at City Shield LLC/Amerishield engaged in a sustained campaign of retaliation, surveillance, harassment, excessive force, unlawful arrest, employment blacklisting, and unconstitutional punishment because of Mr. Walker’s pro-Palestinian speech and advocacy.
SEE: Student sues University of Michigan over alleged surveillance tied to Gaza protests – The Guardian
The filing of this lawsuit coincides with the two-year anniversary of the raid on the Pro Palestinian encampment at the University of Michigan.
The complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges that Mr. Walker was targeted because he advocated for Palestinian human rights, called for institutional divestment, condemned genocide, and participated in nonviolent student-led organizing on the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus. The lawsuit brings claims under the United States Constitution, 42 U.S.C. § 1983and Michigan common law.
According to the complaint, the University of Michigan and its agents allegedly retaliated against Mr. Walker’s protected speech by commissioning prolonged and intrusive surveillance by a private security contractor, detaining and arresting him without lawful basis, using excessive force against him, seizing personal and religious property, issuing retaliatory trespass bans without due process permanently barring him from future university employment, and allegedly coordinating exaggerated or misleading police reports to justify invasive searches of his private digital communications.
The lawsuit further alleges that Mr. Walker was subjected to discriminatory and retaliatory treatment because of his viewpoint, speech, associations, race, and religion. The complaint states that similarly situated students engaged in other forms of protest were not subjected to comparable arrest, banishment, surveillance, or employment blacklisting, while Mr. Walker was repeatedly criminalized, attacked, surveilled, and excluded from campus.
Sugar Law Executive and Legal Director John Philo said:
“It is breath-taking that any university, let alone one with the history and traditions of the University of Michigan, would depart so radically from the values of free debate and vigorous inquiry on issues of deep public concern. The University has targeted students engaged in nonviolent protest because they expressed one viewpoint that institutional powerbrokers strongly disfavor — advocating for an end to a genocide in Palestine and divestment from Israel. To silence such speech, the University subjected Josiah to unprecedented surveillance by private contractors, physical assault by university police, and a series of baseless employment bans and prohibitions against entering campus buildings and public spaces. The University’s actions are morally and legally wrong.”
CAIR-MI Lead Staff Attorney, Amy V. Doukoure said:
“Public universities do not get to celebrate free speech when it is convenient and then unleash police, private surveillance contractors, trespass bans, criminal charges, and employment blacklists when students advocate for Palestinian human rights. Public universities are bound by the First and Fourteenth Amendments, not by political pressure or viewpoint preference. When a public university uses state power and private security operatives to surveil, punish, and intimidate a Black Muslim student because of his protected speech, that is not campus safety. That is unconstitutional retaliation.”
Plaintiff Joshiah Walker said:
“Public universities ought to be places where people can be critical of foreign governments without facing undue harms to the integrity of their persons, interests, and property. The University of Michigan’s decision to mobilize public and private assets to suppress my viewpoints was dangerously irresponsible and constitutes a profound act of institutional betrayal that must be rectified.”
This case is the latest federal civil rights lawsuit challenging the University of Michigan’s treatment of pro-Palestinian speech and advocacy on campus.
In December 2024, CAIR-MI along with Sugar Law and other partners announced a lawsuit brought by pro-Palestinian students, alumni, and Students Allied for Freedom and Equality challenging the university’s disciplinary actions against student protesters and suspension of SAFE.
SEE: Pro-Palestinian students, alumni sue University of Michigan over alleged targeting of protesters
In April 2025, The ACLU of Michigan and Sugar Law Center also filed a federal lawsuit challenging the University of Michigan’s trespass-ban and disruptive-action policies as unconstitutional restrictions on protest activity, including protest activity in support of Palestinian human rights.
SEE: ACLU of Michigan files lawsuit against UMich for campus protest policies
In May 2025, the Sugar Law Center and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee filed a separate federal lawsuit on behalf of former University of Michigan employees alleging their Frist Amendment rights were violated after they were fired and blacklisted for participating in pro-Palestinian protests.
SEE: Lawsuit alleges former University of Michigan employees were fired for participating in protests
All three lawsuits are still pending and working their way through the federal courts.
The lawsuit seeks to vindicate Mr. Walker’s constitutional rights, hold the defendants accountable, and ensure that Michigan’s public universities remain places where diverse viewpoints are protected rather than punished.
About Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice
The Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice is a national nonprofit law center based in Detroit that provides legal advocacy, representation, and support for working people, communities, and movements seeking economic and social justice.
About CAIR-Michigan
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
Become a Fan of CAIR-Michigan on Facebook
Subscribe to CAIR-Michigan’s X Feed
Subscribe to the CAIR- Michigan YouTube Channel
Follow the CAIR-Michigan on Instagram
Donate to CAIR-Michigan
END
CONTACT: Sugar Law Lead Staff Attorney Liz Jacob, Ljacob@sugarlaw.org , 313-993-4505; CAIR-MI Lead Staff Attorney, Amy V. Doukoure (586) 943-8823, adoukoure@cair.com