Prairieland ICE Protest Leads to First “Antifa” Terrorism Convictions

Read our feature article on combating and resisting ICE terror here.

Nine activists were convicted in a federal trial March 13 for charges stemming from a July 4, 2025 armed protest at the Prairieland ICE detention center, in a case that applies US terrorism laws to individuals labeled “Antifa” for the first time.

Benjamin Song was convicted of one count of attempted murder for shooting a police officer but was acquitted of two additional counts related to firing at correctional officers. Song faces life imprisonment.

Eight defendants—Song, Autumn Hill, Zachary Evetts, Savanna Batten, Megan Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto—were convicted of providing material support for terrorism and face up to 15 years in prison. The same defendants were also convicted on riot and explosives charges tied to fireworks. Hill, Evetts, Morris, and Rueda were acquitted of attempted murder charges.

The ninth defendant, Daniel Sanchez, was convicted on two counts of attempting to conceal documents.

During the June 2025 demonstration, which defendants and supporters described as a peaceful noise protest, activists deployed fireworks, spray-painted law enforcement vehicles, and delivered speeches to detainees. Police officer Thomas Gross, responding to the protest, was struck by a bullet from an AR-15 rifle and received minor injuries. Benjamin Song was identified by the state as the shooter. On the final day of the trial, Song’s defense argued that he had not aimed at Gross, but fired “suppressive” shots toward the ground, and that the bullet, which showed signs of hitting a hard surface, ricocheted before grazing the officer.

Authorities, while acknowledging only Song was armed, framed the protest as an organized “antifa terror cell” plotting an ambush. The state presented no direct evidence, relying instead on political beliefs and speech, according to the Dallas/Fort Worth Support Committee, an organization supporting the defendants.

Following a desperate attempt to capture anyone in connection to the protest last year, the FBI made 19 arrests in the weeks following the action. Of the arrested, 10 took plea deals, some were cooperative agreements that included testimony against the other defendants, while the nine found guilty 03/13 took their cases to trial.

According to the DFW Support Committee, “defendants were held in isolation, denied adequate medical care, subject to invasive strip searches at all hours (including at 2am), and held in unsanitary conditions” while in detention awaiting trial.

The trial became a testing ground for the Trump administration’s escalation in repression against activists, particularly around the mass resistance to ICE terror and anti-imperialist struggles. In December of last year, the administration ordered police to investigate individuals and groups based on “antifa” ideology rather than purported illegal activity.

The state presented possession of literature, fliers, and encrypted text messages as evidence of terrorism in the case, despite the judge noting that none of the materials were illegal. An ultra-reactionary think tank, The Center for Security Policy, advised the Justice Department on definitions of “antifa” used in the indictment.

Sentencing begins in June. Defense attorneys for the nine convicted defendants filed motions 03/27 to overturn the verdicts and set a new trial, alleging jury misconduct and prosecutors’ failure to prove key elements of the charges.

Following the verdict, the DFW Support Committee said in a press release, “We have a long journey ahead of us to continue fighting these charges along with the state level charges. What happens here sets the tone for what’s to come. We are here and we won’t give up.”

Image: Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. Credit: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.

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