University of Michigan students rally for DEI amid Trump rollbacks

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - Students at the University of Michigan are letting their voices be heard while protesting the elimination of DEI and the federal government revoking several student visas as part of an immigration crackdown. 

Big picture view:

Many students on a campus, known for their activism, say they’ve had enough recent actions that they say leave many minority students vulnerable in uncertain times. So they sent a big message to university officials.

Michigan students and some faculty members took over the iconic Diag for a new generation of protest with this one clapping back over the university ending its diversity offices and programs after mounting pressure from the Trump Administration, which has railed against DEI efforts in higher education and business.

What they're saying:

"There’s no reason we should be doing this right now," said sophomore Dana Odums. "There’s no reason. But we have to because there’s so few of us here on this campus, like we have to make our voices known."

U-M’s Black Student Union hosted the rally during their 57th year on campus and on the 50th anniversary of the Black Action Movement, with organizers saying they now have a new war to wage.

"People don’t know if scholarships are being cut," union member Princess-J'Maria Mboup said. "People are getting emails in the middle of class that their scholarship is gone. People are just in one day they have a job, the next day - the next morning they don’t. People‘s lives are affected and people have to feed their families. The first-generation college student - they’re literally trying to get their family out of whatever social economic status they are in. These are real things that are happening to real people."

Dig deeper:

Also at issue are the visas and legal residency of 22 Michigan students and recent graduates revoked by the Feds with similar actions taking place at other universities around the country.

All of these issues are now being brought to university leadership.

The U-M administration confirmed the revoking of the student visas and legal status in a letter published online and signed by University President Santa Ono and other school officials. 

They say the federal government has not stated the specific reasons for their actions. 

The Trump Administration has previously said similar actions at other schools are part of their ongoing immigration crackdown.

The backstory:

In March, the university said it would shift its resources over to student programs, including financial aid, mental health, student life, plus its ethnic and cultural programs. But the students FOX 2 talked with said they would keep on fighting.

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University of Michigan ends DEI programs in response to federal pressure

The end to the DEI programs will be effective, immediately citing recent federal executive orders, guidance and funding cuts that brought "urgency" to the issue.