Philippe Kame, a graduate scholar at College of Michigan’s Taubman Faculty of Structure and City Planning, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brokers on April 1, 2026. Kame spent 26 days within the North Lake Processing Heart in Baldwin, Michigan, earlier than he was launched on April 27, 2026. Circumstances had been “fairly deplorable,” Kame informed AN.
Kame was detained by ICE after his educating assistant (TA) place had been revoked by Taubman Faculty in January 2025. Kame claims he was “fired with out due course of” and that his termination violated the Graduate Workers’ Group (GEO) union contract. Kame subsequently took an accepted depart of absence and stayed in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He labored on his personal architectural observe, Studio Kame Home, previous to his ICE detention.
Representatives from the College of Michigan, together with Taubman Faculty dean Jonathan Massey and affiliate dean Kathy Velikov, didn’t reply to a number of requests for remark about this story.
Kame alleges that Taubman Faculty’s choice to revoke his TA place put his F-1 visa immigration standing in jeopardy and was due to this fact liable for his ICE detention.
Now, Kame is asking for assured re-enrollment as a scholar at Taubman Faculty. His re-enrollment is contingent on Taubman Faculty waiving the $38,000 Kame was charged in 2025 after his TA place was revoked, so he’s additionally asking the college to waive that sum, fund his closing yr of structure college, and repair his authorized standing. All of that is needed for Kame to keep away from future ICE detention, GEO stated.
“It’s turn into extra obvious and apparent, now greater than ever, that establishments are usually not on our aspect,” Kame stated. “Establishments, particularly larger training, are usually not there to advocate for the security of the scholars. They shield themselves. I’m grateful, although, for who confirmed up for me—my professors, classmates, union, and household—and helped me get out of detention,” Kame continued. “I do know it sounds cliche however there’s energy in neighborhood, and in numbers.”
“It Was Actually Laborious”
Kame was born in Cameroon. In 2019, he obtained a F-1 visa to review within the U.S. and enrolled at Swarthmore Faculty, the place he graduated in 2023 with a 4-year diploma in architectural research. He then entered the 3-year Grasp of Structure program at Taubman Faculty. He was set to graduate from the varsity in 2026. Now, after this setback, he’s attempting to graduate in 2027.
On January 15, 2025, Taubman Faculty’s chief of employees Ann Luke knowledgeable Kame through electronic mail that his graduate scholar teacher place to TA a course had been revoked. Luke informed Kame that he did “not meet the minimal {qualifications} to serve” as TA for the course as a result of he had not taken the course himself, Kame stated.
When Kame misplaced his TA place, he took an accepted depart of absence as a result of he couldn’t afford to review with out the job. Then Kame was charged $38,000 as a result of he misplaced the schooling waiver the TA place granted him. He spent the rest of 2025 engaged on his personal observe, Studio Kame Home.
Kame’s depart of absence continued in the course of the Spring 2026 tutorial semester. On April 1, 2026, he was detained by ICE brokers and transported to the North Lake Processing Heart in Baldwin, Michigan. Later that month, some detainees launched into a starvation strike to lift consciousness about inhumane situations, per a press release by U.S. Consultant Haley Stevens, a Michigan democrat.
“I don’t suppose I acquired greater than 4 hours of sleep any night time in detention,” Kame stated. “The very harsh and vibrant lights made it laborious to sleep. They didn’t shut down the lights till 11:00 p.m. and even then it was nonetheless fairly vibrant. You then’d get woken up at 5:00 a.m. It was actually laborious,” Kame continued. “There was this bizarre consideration to time. Should you had been even a minute late [to the dining area], they wouldn’t let you could have any meals. I felt just like the officers within the detention heart had been abusing their energy. They lived like they owned the place.”
Kame’s sister, Rose, lives in Washington, D.C. After Kame was detained in April, Rose arrange a web site to assist her brother. Kame’s members of the family contacted the college a number of occasions. Kame stated that the administration was uncooperative. He acquired vital assist from mates, household, professors, and GEO.
“In detention I used to be actually scared that individuals wouldn’t know what had occurred to me,” Kame stated. “There was this sense of disgrace that got here with being in detention. However there was no purpose for me to be ashamed. I acquired so many letters of assist which actually helped.”
On April 27, 2026, Kame was launched from the detention heart, after 26 days in ICE’s custody. He returned to his house in Ann Arbor. Kame stated he didn’t attain out to the College of Michigan for help together with his immigration standing after he was launched as a result of he had “tried a number of occasions prior to now and was met with opposition after I was in search of funding” to assist his research.
“After I was attempting to remain within the U.S. and determine my immigration standing, I by no means acquired ample assist,” he stated. “If something, I used to be largely ignored by the administration. So after I acquired out, I didn’t imagine that they might assist me in any approach, so I didn’t need to have interaction with them.”
On Might 21, 2026, Taubman Faculty denied any wrongdoing at a listening to with GEO. On the listening to Taubman Faculty claimed it had acted in compliance with Tutorial Human Sources (HR). On June 12, 2026, Tutorial HR made a ruling that excluded the restoration of Kame’s authorized standing, assured enrollment, and tuition assist, per a press release from GEO.
GEO stated that Taubman Faculty’s ruling places Kame vulnerable to being detained once more. Now, GEO is shifting to a Step 3 grievance with Tutorial HR and Taubman Faculty. GEO remains to be demanding Kame’s reinstatement as a scholar and immigration safety, and hopes “HR will be part of us on the desk in good religion to assist Philippe.”
“Do Not Be Afraid”
Different structure college students, school, and professionals within the U.S. have been detained by ICE. Mariam Penaloza, an structure scholar at Kean College, was detained by ICE in New Jersey this month, and transported to a detention heart in Louisiana, a Kean College school member informed AN.
Earlier this yr, a former professor on the Faculty of Structure and Planning on the College of Texas at San Antonio was held by ICE for 4 months; she was launched in Might. Final yr, AN reported that an proprietor of a Vermont-based design co-op was held for over a month by ICE earlier than being launched.
The saga has been eye-opening for Kame. “When coming to the U.S., worldwide college students are inclined to not have interaction in politics,” he famous. “We shrink back from some subjects as a result of we don’t need to be a goal of the federal government. I had my political beliefs, however I used to be by no means actually an outspoken particular person earlier than this. I might say now: Don’t be afraid and get up for your self. And don’t be afraid to attach with different folks and ask for assist.”
“We have to keep united and never put blind belief in establishments,” Kame continued. “We have to maintain establishments accountable and allow them to know we’re watching, as a result of I believe establishments will all the time throw us underneath the bus to guard themselves. We will’t simply allow them to stroll over us the way in which it’s been for therefore lengthy. It’s so necessary to not let this go.”
