The University of Michigan has terminated its contract with undercover investigators following widespread criticism after reports revealed the surveillance of pro-Palestinian campus groups. The decision was announced on May 8 by University President Domenico Grasso, who cited the actions of one contractor as being inconsistent with the university’s values and directives.
The controversy stems from a story published by The Guardian, which uncovered the university’s hiring of private investigators, reportedly affiliated with Detroit-based contract security firm City Shield. The newspaper found that these investigators trailed and recorded pro-Palestinian student activists on and off campus for several months. Some evidence collected by the undercover investigators was reportedly shared with Michigan prosecutors, leading to charges and the temporary jailing of student protesters.
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According to The Guardian, students described encounters where investigators acted confrontationally, including instances of cursing, threatening behavior, and reckless driving. Video evidence also documented these confrontations. Five students, all involved in pro-Palestinian protests, confirmed being surveilled, and two publicly identified themselves as members of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE), a group that was suspended for two years in January 2025.
The surveillance program sparked significant backlash from University of Michigan students, faculty, alumni, and social media users. Grasso addressed this public outcry in a campus-wide email, stating that “no individual or group should ever be targeted for their beliefs or affiliations.”
University of Michigan Spent $3 Million in Response to Pro-Palestinian Protests
The university reportedly spent over $3 million in response to campus protests, with $800,000 allocated between June 2023 and September 2024 to Ameri-Shield, City Shield’s parent company. Although the university claims the hired security personnel were engaged solely to ensure campus safety, reports suggest otherwise.
The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) welcomed the decision to end these contracts but emphasized the need for further systemic changes to address what it described as “suppression of pro-Palestinian advocacy and student free speech.”
Evidence gathered by these investigators was used by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to charge students with violations such as trespassing and resisting arrest. While most charges were later dropped, at least one student spent four days in jail, reports The Guardian.
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Critics of the program, including the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), argue that these actions have already imposed a chilling effect on student activism. FIRE issued a pointed criticism, stating, “The year is 2025. Not 1984,” referencing Orwellian surveillance practices.
School Issues Response, Outlines Next Steps
The University of Michigan denies authorizing surveillance of specific students or groups, stating that reports have “mischaracterized the role of contract security personnel.” However, it has pledged to terminate all contracts with external vendors for plainclothes security operations moving forward.
The university said in a statement the safety and privacy of its students, faculty, staff and visitors are of utmost importance.
The statement went on to say:
“The university expanded its use of contracted plainclothes security personnel in 2024. Plainclothes security was expanded to provide discreet awareness of potential illegal activities without escalating tensions; and it is an industry-standard approach used widely across college campuses, sporting venues and medical facilities. The responsibilities of the contracted personnel were limited to the observation and reporting of criminal or suspicious activity on university property to the Division of Public Safety and Security (DPSS) — not surveillance.
“The DPSS has never followed a student off campus, nor targeted individuals or groups because of their beliefs or affiliations.
“We recently learned that an employee of one of our vendors acted outside of the university’s contracted services. Their behavior was unacceptable, and we will not tolerate it. In discussions with the vendor, we have been informed that this individual is no longer employed with their company. Additionally, the university has informed the vendor that we will no longer utilize their plainclothes security services for on campus security details moving forward.
“We ask anyone who witnesses or experiences inappropriate behavior by an employee or contractor to report it to DPSS or the Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX Office. All complaints will be reviewed and addressed appropriately.
