The University of Michigan’s Central Student Government convened virtually Tuesday evening for an emergency session to discuss the recent detainment of Philippe Kame, former Taubman graduate student and Graduate Student Instructor, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement April 1. Kame is reportedly being held in the North Lake Processing Center, where there are reports of an ongoing hunger strike.
LSA sophomore Summit Louth, CSG president, called for the session Saturday to introduce resolution AR 16-008, Supporting the Release of a U of M Student from ICE Detention. According to the Student Assembly, Kame is awaiting a bond hearing on April 27. The Assembly introduced AR 16-008 calling for Kame’s release on behalf of CSG, but ultimately did not proceed with the resolution due to legal concerns.
The meeting began with community concerns. Rackham and Medical School student Hiab Teshome, president of the Graduate Employees’ Organization, has spoken with Kame’s sister. Teshome said Kame has been living in poor conditions since his detainment.
“The conditions have been horrific,” Teshome said. “He has barely any food. He is making choices between having medicine and having food. There’s constant light, the mental toll has been quite horrific, and it’s been three weeks.”
Taubman graduate student Joe Konczal, GEO member, claims prior to Kame’s detainment, his employment as a GSI was mistakenly terminated despite still being charged tuition.
“His kidnapping comes after a series of administrative mistakes and incompetencies that saw him wrongfully terminated from his GSI position and wrongfully charged $38,000 of tuition — both of which were violations of the contract,” Konczal said. “Because of this, he has been unable to continue his studies and lost the protections and visas that his education and employment afforded him.”
In a comment on the resolution document Tuesday afternoon, CSG Program Manager Isabella Fatseas wrote she believes the resolution should be withdrawn, as it would involve the University in an ongoing legal case.
“Out of order,” Fatseas wrote. “CSG is a sponsored student organization, which means we are part of the University of Michigan. As such, we cannot make public statements regarding or involve the university in ongoing legal matters such as this. If U-M were to be or become involved in such legal matters, it would be routed through the appropriate offices.”
An hour into the meeting, Louth said he recently met with Jonathan Massey, dean of Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Regent Paul Brown (D) and the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel, where he was advised not to bring the resolution to the Assembly. Louth said he did not receive rationale for the decision, but will help representatives contact administrators and take individual initiative for any further action.
“I’m going to continue meeting with administrators and pushing them to do everything they can,” Louth said. “When they recommended that the resolution be ruled out of order, I asked them to cite what rule said that it was a violation or that we couldn’t do it. I haven’t been provided that citation yet … I can do my best to try and get you connected if you message me and express interest. But apart from that, I don’t know how much else we can do as a student government.”
The Assembly then moved to discuss the resignations of LSA sophomore Victoria McCabe and Social Work student Ryan Hires from their roles as CSG representatives. Rackham student Devin Woodruff, Assembly speaker, read out a letter from Hires. Hires wrote he believes the Assembly is not an environment where victims of abuse feel safe speaking up.
“After the few times I tried to stand up for victims in Assembly, I had members of the Assembly blowing up my DM’s, calling me names, questioning my morals and integrity, and encouraging me to resign,” Hires wrote. “ … Speaking as a survivor of abuse, the Assembly’s space has become incredibly triggering and has taken a huge toll on my mental health and wellbeing.”
LSA freshman Sadie Malik, CSG representative, said she worries the University is unable to protect international students or those targeted by the government.
“I want to reiterate that the University not protecting this student shouldn’t concern just our international or immigrant populations — it should concern all of us,” Malik said. “If the Trump administration or any sort of government official just decides that you potentially don’t have your citizenship in order, you would not be protected by the University.”
Rackham student Erin Neely, CSG representative, said she believes the Assembly should push back against university administration in order to protect a fellow student.
“We should be having some choice words for the Office of the General Counsel, but now is not the time or the place to go into that,” Neely said. “Let us commit to doing whatever we can to help the student in immigration detention, and if we run into a place where we cannot act, then we should go back and go to the places where we can act.”
All remaining resolutions on the agenda were referred back to committees for further consideration.
Daily Summer News Editor Niko Wilson can be reached at nikow@umich.edu.
