Lansing activist group Direct Action, and the Ann Arbor civil rights group By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) were labeled "domestic terrorists" by FBI according to a document received via an ACLU Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The document details a January 2002 "Domestic Terrorism Symposium" hosted by the Michigan State Police and convened to inform local, state, and federal officials of individuals and groups believed to be involved in "terrorist activities." The document also reveals collusion between Michigan State University's campus safety department and state and federal law enforcement, specifically in terms of a student group called East Lansing Animal Rights Movement (ELARM) that was believed to have ties to the Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front.

The documents were obtained as part of the ACLU's campaign to determine how extensively records have been kept on domestic groups engage in political dissent. Earlier this year the ACLU revealed that the FBI was keeping records on activists organizing against the 2004 Republican National Convention, while a similar request filed by the West Michigan ACLU found that the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) kept records on antiwar activists in Grand Rapids.