ADC Statement on DOJ Indictment of Former U-M Students and the Criminalization of Palestine Solidarity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2026
[email protected]

Washington, D.C. — Statement from ADC President and Legal Director, Jenin Younes, on the DOJ’s indictment of former University of Michigan student organizers: 

“ADC is alarmed by the federal government’s escalation against former University of Michigan student organizers who courageously advocated for Palestinians’ human rights through encampments, divestment appeals, and protected political protest. Authorities are trying to turn constitutionally protected dissent into a federal crime, clearly because of the nature of the speech in question. This dangerous development should concern anyone who believes in free speech and civil liberties.

Among those targeted is a plaintiff whom ADC represents alongside the Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice in Hakim et al. v. Regents of the University of Michigan. They, along with several other plaintiffs, sued the university for violating her First Amendment rights by punishing her for protected pro-Palestine speech and activity. Now, the Administration has significantly raised the stakes by turning the university’s constitutionally violative strategy into the law of the land, without respect for the Constitution. This Administration appears to believe that constitutional rights are only for those whose politics it shares, which couldn’t be further from the purpose of constitutional protections – they exist to protect those who dissent from government policies. 

None of the defendants have engaged in activity that warrants a federal indictment for conspiracy-related offenses. Free speech and protest are not crimes, nor is demanding divestment and consideration for Palestinians’ human rights. These students are presumptively innocent and deserve a vigorous legal defense against a politically motivated prosecution.”

About ADC

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the United States, founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk.  ADC’s mission is to defend and promote the human rights, civil rights, and liberties of at least 3.7 million Arab Americans residing in the United States. Through its work, ADC fights discrimination, enhances public understanding of Arab history and culture, and partners with marginalized communities globally to advance social justice.