Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has abruptly dropped all charges against seven pro-Palestinian protesters arrested during an on-campus demonstration last year.

The felony charges alleged that the protesters were obstructing and resisting arrest as police were breaking up a pro-Palestinian encampment on the University of Michigan Diag. 

Nessel was reportedly asked by members of the University of Michigan Board of Regents to investigate the protesters after local prosecutors decided not to press charges.

Civil rights attorney Amir Makled says it never made sense for the AG to get involved in the first place. Citing concerns of potential bias, Makled asked the judge in the case to urge the state end the prosecution.

“It is a little surprising that on the eve of a motion to disqualify the attorney general’s office that the defense filed, the AG decides to just drop the case entirely,” he said.

In a statement, Nessel denied allegations of bias and criticized the pace of the judge handling the case – calling the matter a “circus-like atmosphere.”

Nevertheless, Makled says dismissing the case was the right move.

“We hope this sends a clear message to institutions across the state and the nation that protest is not a crime and dissent is not disorder,” he said.

Nessel — who is Jewish — says her involvement in the case was not evidence of bias and called the accusation “baseless and absurd.”

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Many free speech advocates are alarmed as the Trump administration revokes visas for hundreds of international students. Those students could face deportation for committing traffic violations or participating in political activism. 

In both circumstances, this kind of federal action is rare. Students are always at risk of losing their status for criminal convictions, but rarely for political demonstrations. 

People working in the Trump administration, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, say student activists do not have a right to be here. He claims students have been “vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus,” and that international students who “start a riot” will have their visas revoked. 

It is unclear whether any students who have lost their visas have been charged with starting a riot. And so, this has many people worried about crackdowns on free speech and the broader implications for all Americans, including Amir Makled. 

Makled is a civil rights attorney representing a University of Michigan protester pro bono. That protester faces criminal charges filed by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel for allegedly defying law enforcement. 

On Sunday, Makled was detained for two hours by federal agents at Detroit Metro Airport after returning from a trip to the Dominican Republic with his wife and two daughters. 

Makled said immigration officials told him they knew he was an attorney and that he takes on “high profile” cases. They wanted access to his cell phone.

Just last month, Makled appeared on The Metro to explain why he is representing a pro-Palestine protester pro bono. This week, he returned to the show to discuss what he experienced during his detainment at Detroit Metro Airport.

The Metro contacted the regional U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, which was involved in the detainment of Makled. The agency has not yet replied to that request.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on Wednesday, April 9:

• Increased concerns with measles on the rise
• Changes underway on Monroe Street in Greektown
• Local impact of federal cuts to libraries and museums

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