‘What kind of people are not against fascism?’: Prarieland Anti-ICE riot defendants sentenced to 450 years, which DOJ marks as first against Antifa

A group of defendants involved in an anti-ICE riot at the Texas Prairieland Detention Center has been handed a combined 450 years in prison. This sentencing marks the first time the Department of Justice has secured convictions against individuals affiliated they identified as being part of Antifa since President Donald Trump designated the movement as a domestic terrorist organization last year.

According to Houston Public Media (HPM), the legal proceedings concluded Tuesday with U.S. District Judges Mark Pittman and Reed O’Connor presiding over the sentencing of eight individuals. The group was convicted for their roles in a demonstration that took place on July 4, 2025. The event began as an immigration protest, but eventually turned violent, resulting in the non-fatal shooting of Alvarado Police Lt. Thomas Gross.

Benjamin Song, who was convicted of attempted murder for firing at the officer, received a 100-year prison sentence. Maricela Rueda was sentenced to 70 years, while Autumn Hill, Zachary Evetts, Meagan Morris, Savanna Batten, and Elizabeth Soto were each sentenced to 50 years each. Daniel Sanchez Estrada received a 30-year sentence. All defendants involved in the incident are required to “jointly and separately” pay $4,408.95 to the Detention Center.

Defendants see this as political persecution

In a press release, the U.S. Justice Department highlighted these sentences as a clear message. FBI Director Kash Patel stated, “Today’s sentencings show the FBI remains committed to identifying, locating, and dismantling Antifa and its funding networks across the country. Acts of violence against our law enforcement partners will not be tolerated, and we continue our work to protect communities across the country from domestic terrorism.” 

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche echoed this sentiment, stating that attacks against “law enforcement and federal facilities will face swift and uncompromising justice. [Antifa’s] violent extremism has no place in our country, and the Department of Justice will continue to aggressively investigate, disrupt, and prosecute those who threaten law enforcement officers or undermine the rule of law.” 

Antifa, or “anti-fascist,” is an ideology, not a single organization per HPM. They noted that for some critics, it’s a catch-all term for left-wing beliefs, including socialism. For the past few years, it has been tied to Anti-Trump and anti-ICE beliefs. 

According to The Guardian, the defendants and their supporters maintain that they were targeted for their political beliefs. Soto and her husband were charged with “providing material support to terrorists,” which was her ownership of a printing press rather than any organized criminal conspiracy. 

During the trial, prosecutors reportedly presented evidence that included anarchist zines, stickers with the acronym ACAB, and printing equipment found in the defendants’ homes. The Guardian reports that advocates and civil liberties experts are sounding the alarm, arguing that using such materials as evidence sets a dangerous precedent for First Amendment rights and the future of protest in the United States.

HPM reported that the defense team and supporters argued that the protest was intended to be a peaceful noise demonstration. Ana Marie Thorne, a supporter with the All People’s Church Unitarian Universalist in Fort Worth, stated, “These defendants are not militant monsters out to kill. They are everyday people who saw our country literally interning people in concentration camps and decided to show up at Prairieland Detention Center to let those incarcerated there know that they mattered.

Before his sentencing, Song stated that he did not hate anyone and that he wasn’t part of a terrorist organization, and there was no group called Antifa. He asked, “What kind of people are not against fascism?” He argued that his actions on July 4th were just a reaction to seeing an officer point a gun at another protester. He also made a strong stand against how he felt the government was reshaping the narrative. 

HPM noted that His mother, Hope Song, defended her son, saying, “He’s accepted full responsibility for what actually happened. But he will never accept responsibility for a lie — a government lie made to prosecute innocent people in order to get political persecutions.”

Per the DOJ press release, the three-week trial featured testimony from 46 witnesses and over 210 exhibits. Prosecutors argued that the cell had acquired dozens of firearms, used encrypted messaging apps to coordinate, and employed “black bloc” tactics to hide their identities while vandalizing property and attacking officers with fireworks and gunfire. 

Judge Pittman, per HPM, remarked it was only by the “grace of God” that the defendants and others were not killed during the confrontation. Now, seven other individuals who previously pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists are awaiting sentencing on July 1. 

Over this past year, a few anti-ICE protests have turned violent. In Chicago, a car drove through the crowd, while the Winter Olympics protests saw tear gas and water cannons.