Taubman graduate student Philippe Kame continues to face challenges since the termination of his employment as a graduate student instructor and subsequent detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in April. Kame, who is pursuing a Master of Architecture at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, remains enrolled as a student at the University of Michigan. Last year, he requested and was granted a leave of absence.
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Kame claimed the termination of his GSI position stemmed from the University allegedly breaching a contract both parties agreed to before he began his tenure as a GSI.
“The school made a mistake,” Kame said. “They breached my employment contract when I was offered a GSI position in December of 2024. They signed a contract with me without double checking their own requirements set by their own conditions for an employment offer. They then backed out on their decision and decided to take away the position that they offered to me after the contract was already signed.”
Kame told The Daily he believes his detainment to be a direct result of the University’s decision to terminate his employment. After losing his GSI appointment, Kame said he was unable to afford tuition for the winter 2025 semester, which led to the loss of his F-1 student status. He was later detained and transported to a detention facility, where he remained for approximately one month.
“I couldn’t enroll for my last year because of the outstanding tuition balance from the winter 2025 semester, which led to me losing, unfortunately, my F-1 status as an international student in the U.S., which led to the ICE detention and where I am right now,” Kame said. “… Being approached by a group of heavily armed men in full tactical gear, basically just grabbing you and asking you to follow them. It was a pretty scary event.”
The University declined to comment on Kame’s detainment, citing their policy on not discussing legal or personnel matters.
While detained, Kame explained he was housed with many other detainees and experienced difficult living conditions. Kame said his experience in detention changed the way he viewed others held in ICE custody.
“One thing that always went through my mind when I was in detention was that no one in here did anything wrong,” Kame said. “We are all only guilty of dreaming better for ourselves.”
Kame was ultimately granted release on bond on April 27. Following his release, a fundraising page was set up to address his outstanding tuition balance, legal fees and $8,000 bond.
According to Kame, the Graduate Employees’ Organization helped him file a grievance against the University over the termination of his GSI position. In an email to The Daily, GEO president Hiab Teshome wrote she believes GEO’s response was instrumental in securing Kame’s release.
“Graduate students and the community came together to secure our coworker’s release from a horrific ICE concentration camp,” Teshome stated. “It was the community and workers across campus who organized fundraising efforts. It was the community and workers who wrote bond release letters, and over 1,300 people signed a community letter speaking to our coworker’s character and need for his release.”
Kame said he felt gratitude for the mass of support he received in the wake of his release, both through the fundraising page and the picket organized on the day of his grievance hearing May 22.
“I feel very grateful for the further support that I received when I was first detained,” Kame said. “One of the things that I was concerned about was people knowing what happened to me, the feeling of shame that comes with being in a situation like that. Knowing I had this much support was very comforting. GEO really stood up for me, mobilizing the entire community of Taubman and Michigan. My family was supporting me every step of the way.”
Kame said the intended purpose of the grievance hearing was to examine the University’s termination of his GSI appointment and provide administrators an opportunity to address the breach of his employment contract.
“We, as students, only have these pieces of paper to protect us from these big institutions because when things go south, the institution is not going to stand up for a student,” Kame said. “It’s going to stand up for itself and only itself.”
Kame said he was disappointed by the outcome of the hearing, alleging representatives from the University declined to take responsibility for the events that led to his detention.
“I was hoping that at this point, after me going through ICE detention because of the mistake, they would at least try to soften the blow in a way, or be accountable for what they did,” Kame said. “But they just kept pushing the blame on other people.”
Kame also said he repeatedly contacted University officials for assistance after losing his GSI position, but was unable to obtain relief before his student status was terminated.
“When my position was terminated and I was struggling to afford the winter 2025 semester, I had reached out to many University administrators, asking them, ‘I really need help right now; can you do something?’” Kame said. “They were like, ‘Oh, talk to this person, talk to this person,’ just playing ping-pong. No one could help me.”
Despite the hearing’s outcome, Kame intends to continue pursuing reinstatement with GEO’s support. He said he hopes speaking publicly about his experience will increase pressure on the University and help prevent similar situations from affecting other students.
“We’re going to keep going,” Kame said. “If not for me, then for people who are going to be there after me — people who might be going through similar things in the future.”
Taubman College did not respond to The Daily’s request for comment.
Daily Staff Reporter Andres Pulido can be reached at andrespu@umich.edu.
