# Trump Subpoenas Teachers Union for Info on Pro-Palestine Students

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/trump-subpoenas-teachers-union-for-info-on-pro-palestine-students/
- Published: 2026-11-13T09:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T09:22:39+00:00
- Original publisher: The Intercept (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://theintercept.com/2026/11/13/subpoena-union-palestine-protest-michigan/
- Topics: Americas, Politics, World

## Key points

- Federal investigators subpoenaed the AFT and a university union.
- The inquiry concerns protests and 12 charged student activists.
- Critics say the subpoenas could extend scrutiny of protest networks.

## Summary

The Trump administration sought information from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and its University of Michigan graduate employees’ local as part of a federal investigation into pro-Palestine campus protests. The previously unreported subpoenas widen the inquiry beyond the 12 student activists charged over alleged vandalism, prompting concerns from union representatives and civil liberties advocates that the investigation could reach organisations linked to protest activity.

The AFT headquarters received a grand jury subpoena in August, while the Graduate Employees’ Organization was also asked to provide information and testimony. Federal prosecutor Margaret Smith and FBI agent Kara Phipps were involved in requesting the subpoenas. The students, known as the “Michigan 12”, are accused of illegal acts during a campaign urging the university to divest from holdings connected to Israel; the Department of Justice declined to comment.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.