Ypsilanti residents protest UMich data center construction

The University of Michigan, partnering with the Los Alamos National Laboratory, plans to build a $1.25 billion high-performance computing center in Ypsilanti. Local residents have protested the potential environmental and community impacts, including higher electricity costs and concerns about the center's connection to nuclear weapons research. The University claims the facility will have a smaller footprint and minimal impact, but activists argue the University is making false claims. The residents also oppose the University's power and exemption from local laws. The University has faced allegations of detaining and banning protesters from campus during public events about the project.