University of Michigan Student Government Passes Divestment Resolution Again

CSG votes to urge the University to investigate financial ties to the Israeli government and initiate divestment procedures.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 5:33am

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The University of Michigan Central Student Government (CSG) met to discuss community involvement within CSG and the Divest for Humanity Act. The resolution, which was initially passed in the fall but vetoed by the CSG president, urges the University's Board of Regents to form a committee to investigate the University's financial ties to the Israeli government and initiate divestment procedures similar to the ones used to divest from Apartheid South Africa in 1978. The resolution passed in a secret ballot with 19 in favor and 7 against.

Why it matters

The Divest for Humanity Act is a response to Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which has been classified as a genocide by the United Nations and various human rights organizations. The resolution aims to hold the University accountable for its financial ties to the Israeli government and take action to divest, similar to the University's past divestment from Apartheid South Africa.

The details

The resolution comes after the initial passage of the Divest for Humanity Act in the fall, which was then vetoed by the CSG president. The CSG's Human Rights Party bypassed the veto by creating a petition garnering more than 1,700 signatures, allowing the act to be reconsidered by the Student Assembly. During the meeting, 21 students, staff, alumni, and community members spoke in favor of passing the resolution.

  • The Divest for Humanity Act was initially passed in the fall of 2025.
  • The act was vetoed by the CSG president in November 2025.
  • The CSG's Human Rights Party created a petition with over 1,700 signatures, allowing the act to be reconsidered by the Student Assembly.
  • The Student Assembly voted on the resolution during their meeting on March 19, 2026.

The players

Jesse Beal

Director of the Spectrum Center at the University of Michigan.

Spencer Hall

Support services and wellness advocate at the University of Michigan.

Keethan Kleiner

Law School student and CSG representative who was not present at the meeting.

Eric Veal Jr.

LSA and Education senior, CSG President, who vetoed the Divest for Humanity Act in November 2025.

Keshava Demerath-Shanti

LSA senior, CSG representative, and one of the resolution's sponsors.

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What they’re saying

“If you have one affirming adult in your life and you're a Queer (or) (transgender) youth, your chance of suicide decreases by 40%. Affirming peers, mentors, communities … research and scholarship tells us these are protective factors that decrease suicidality, depression, anxiety (and) self-harm.”

— Jesse Beal, Director of the Spectrum Center

“You pledge at each meeting to help make things right for Indigenous people … (and) hold the University of Michigan accountable. No one is more indigenous than the Palestinians in Palestine. If you believe in what you say about holding the University accountable for the treatment of Indigenous people, you will vote (yes) tonight. If you do not, you are obligated to explain why you pledge one thing, and when it comes to Palestinians, do another.”

— Gregg Krupa, University alum

“It is unbecoming of the student government of one of the best, if not the best, public universities in the world, to deny the findings of the experts on human rights. This matters because we have a responsibility to humanity. It also matters because it matters to students on this campus. (We collected) those hundreds of signatures for this petition when it was vetoed by the person who's supposed to represent our campus.”

— Keshava Demerath-Shanti, CSG representative and resolution sponsor

“The way (the resolution) has been framed is near an election where if it passes, you can claim it as an achievement. Only for you to shut down the government which actually cuts off resources to other clubs. If it fails, you can play the card of basically saying 'Look what they've done. They don't care about the issue.'”

— Jason Nuridjanian, CSG representative

“We've talked, we've had dialogue. It's time to take action. At the end of the day, if all we have is conversation, we're just stalling the issue. Justice delayed is justice denied.”

— Christina Jones, CSG representative and resolution sponsor

What’s next

The Divest for Humanity Act, having been passed by the CSG, will now be sent to the University's Board of Regents, who will form a committee to investigate the University's financial ties to the Israeli government and initiate divestment procedures.

The takeaway

The passage of the Divest for Humanity Act by the University of Michigan Central Student Government represents a significant step in holding the University accountable for its financial ties to the Israeli government and taking action to divest, similar to the University's past divestment from Apartheid South Africa. This decision reflects the growing student and community concern over the human rights abuses in Gaza and the desire to take a stand against such injustices.