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  • Federal Grand Jury Indicts Two Texas Defendants With “Providing Material Support to Terrorist”

    Reproduced below is an October 25, 2025 article published on We Will Free Us, authored by Sabr Qalam. It has been edited for some typographic errors.

    “For the first time ever, the FBI has arrested anarchist violent extremists and charged Antifa-aligned individuals with material support to terrorism.” – FBI Director, Kash Patel

    On October 16th, federal prosecutors secured a grand jury indictment against two people from North Texas that they allege helped orchestrate an attack at an ICE detention facility in Alvarado, Texas.

    The indictment claims that both people are supposedly members of an “Antifa cell” that planned and executed an attack on officers at the Prairieland Detention Center in early July, leaving one local Alvarado cop with a gunshot wound to the neck.

    The allegations by the federal government stem from a noise demonstration that occurred in July of this year, outside of the detention center in Alvarado that houses between 1,000 – 2,000 people awaiting immigration hearings and pending deportation orders. This is the same detention facility that Palestinian political prisoner Leqaa Kordia has been unjustly detained in for over the last 6 months — and the same detention facility former political prisoner Ángel Espinosa-Villegas was also briefly held in, after being “released” from federal prison and before being deported back to Chile earlier this year.

    Prairieland is as much a concentration camp as every other ICE facility in the country.

    On July 4th, a number of individuals arrived to the detention center for an autonomous noise demonstration to show solidarity with migrants detained inside the facility. Noise demonstrations are a common form of protest that occur at jails, prisons, and other facilities that incarcerate people. The goal of these actions is to make enough noise so that people on the inside are able to hear the support from their community on the outside.

    Court records claim that people at the demonstration allegedly began to shoot off fireworks into the air, and that DHS cars and a guard shed were vandalized with spray paint.

    DHS vehicle spray painted with black paint that says “ICE Pig."
    Image of a vehicle allegedly vandalized during the noise demonstration. Photo via Justice Department

    After federal officers called local police in for backup, the federal indictment alleges that “black clad militants” began to fire rifles at both local and federal law enforcement, ultimately shooting one of the officers in the neck. Police responded by arresting everyone in the area.

    Only one of the defendants indicted last Thursday was arrested the night of the alleged “attack”. The other defendant was detained in the midst of multiple arrests that occurred in the following days, all throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

    Fox News initially broke this story of the two new federal indictments early last Thursday morning, and they misreported that one of the two people indicted on the terrorism charges is the initial suspected shooter. The person actually alleged to be the one who shot the police officer, following an extensive manhunt for them over this past summer, has still not been indicted federally.

    In an effort to collectively squash dissent, what began as a normal noise demonstration gone rogue has now turned into what the government has called a “planned ambush”and “coordinated attack”.

    Since July 4th, sweeping raids have occurred at the homes of many loved ones and supporters of the defendants, where the FBI has brutally deployed flash-bang grenades and thrown bags over people’s heads as they violently detain them. 17 people have since been held in state and federal custody, all on suspicion of having either been at or aiding the events at the Prairieland Detention Center. An 18th arrest was made earlier this week, with the new defendant in the case being hit with a state charge of “aiding in the commission of terrorism”. 

    Similar to the rhetoric that was used to collectively target and prosecute people that protested against the construction of “Cop City” in the Weelaunee Forest of Atlanta, the state has now alleged that all of the defendants they have abducted are part of a larger criminal conspiracy — labeling them an “Antifa cell”.

    Many defendants maintain that they do not know one another, and some defendants have never even stepped foot in the city that the “attack” occurred in. And yet still, the state has collectively grouped these people together on the basis of their alleged political affiliations and relationships to other co-defendants, in an attempt to collectively make an example out of those that express dissent against the fascist government. Some defendants have been indicted in this case for simply removing someone from a private signal group chat, possessing radical literature or even certain types of board games, and other blatantly preposterous reasons relating to their supposed political ideologies. The state even seized printing equipment from the home of two co-defendants and argued that their production of left-wing reading materials was evidence of responsibility of criminal acts. 

    “The recent federal indictment makes false claims, mischaracterizes facts, and takes quotes out of context,” said a spokesperson for the DFW Support Committee. “Claims of adherence to a political ideology, whether true or not, are not grounds to charge someone with terrorism and does not belong in an indictment.”

    While most defendants have spent the duration of pre-trial in county jail, one of the defendants was held in custody with an ICE hold, ordering the revocation of his green card and impending deportation from the country. After receiving a jail call from a family member that was arrested the night of the alleged “attack” in Alvarado, police arrested him with a box of zines in his car — labeling them as “anti-government propaganda”. He became the 11th arrest in relation to this case, and is the only defendant aside from the two indicted last Thursday to be hit with both state and federal charges.

    After almost three months of being held in custody without being arraigned, the defendants all finally appeared in federal court this past September. Because of this prolonged delay in their initial court appearances, defendants were unable to be appointed public defenders or even be able to consult with lawyers about the government’s case against them.

    Local legal experts claim that the majority of cases in the county are seen before a judge between one to three days after a person’s initial arrest. There has been absolutely zero reason given as to why the defendants in this case have been given such completely different treatment.

    During their first court appearance that occurred in late September, a US Magistrate Judge found probable cause to formally charge all those arrested, and he ordered the defendants to be held in custody until a potential trial. Many defendants have since been transported from Johnson County to the Wichita County Jail — aside from one defendant who has been bonded out again from custody following his third arrest, as well as a number of other defendants who have been transferred to federal custody at FMC Carswell. This transfer to Wichita County will mean that defendants are a little over two hours away from their loved ones in Dallas-Fort Worth, and this is just yet another move by the state to continue to isolate the defendants in this case from their community. 

    A support committee composed of loved ones reported that a number of the defendants have been held in solitary confinement cells, with no official explanation or justification as to why. All have been held on bonds between $5- $15 million while reporting inhumane detention conditions, such as sexual harassment, physical abuse, and dangerous neglect. One defendant reported being forced to clean up another inmates’ feces smeared in the solitary confinement cell that they were roughly thrown into. Another has reported mandatory strip searches that occur endlessly throughout the day. The list just continues to go on.

    On October 1st, the state of Texas indicted 14 people in the case on state charges of terrorism, aggravated assault against a public servant, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer, aiding in the commission of terrorism, smuggling of persons, hindering prosecution of terrorism, and tampering with/fabricating physical evidence. The state also imposed an additional charge of “engaging in organized criminal activity” for all 14 defendants. Many defendants will be fighting concurrent state and federal cases, and further charges against the defendants in this case are still pending and anticipated, given the fact that only 3 defendants have been indicted federally so far. 

    This most recent grand jury indictment last Thursday is the first time the federal government has officially filed terrorism related charges against anti-fascists, and it comes just 21 days since Donald Trump signed an official Executive Order designating “Antifa” as a domestic terrorist organization. It is interesting to note that Trump’s Executive Order regarding “Antifa” was also signed the same day Prairieland defendants were finally arraigned in federal court, after many months of delays in their cases. Just three days later, the White House also released National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7), which specifically orders all federal law enforcement agencies to prioritize combatting “Antifa” as a domestic terrorism threat. 

    Many legal experts have challenged the validity of Trump’s September 22nd Executive Order, given the fact that the President does not retain the ability to designate any domestic groups as “terrorist organizations”. This is because the First Amendment of the Constitution protects the right of individuals to exercise free speech and assembly, and the Supreme Court has additionally upheld that people also maintain the freedom of association to express, promote, and defend common interests. Many legal experts have argued that this Executive Order is largely just symbolic in domestic law, given that terrorism itself is not a standalone crime under federal statue and charges hinge on specific criminal conduct, rather than membership or allegiance to an organization itself. 

    Given all of this, it is important to note that both defendants last Thursday have been federally indicted on charges of “providing material support to terrorists”, and not the legally distinctive charge of supporting a terrorist organization, despite Donald Trump’s designation of “Antifa” as a formal terrorist group. The two defendants have also been charged with three counts of “attempted murder of officers and employees of the United States”, as well as three counts of “discharging a firearm during, in relation to, and in furtherance of a crime of violence”.

    In the indictment, the Department of Justice claims that “Antifa is a militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to a revolutionary anarchist or autonomous Marxist ideology, which explicitly calls for the overthrow of the U.S. government, law enforcement authorities and the system of law.”

    From Trump’s Executive Order, to these most recent indictments, and even Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announcing that his office would be launching undercover investigations into “left-wing political violence” in the state, citing the July 4th action in Alvarado as motivation for the decision — it is very clear that the state is doing everything possible to deter dissent and invoke fear and paranoia in those that take a stand against fascism.

    The one defendant who has since been bonded out from custody awaiting trial has reported having spyware installed on his phone, being barred from consuming any anti-government or “violent” content until the duration of his trial is complete. This is the same defendant that the state tried to continue to keep in custody by drastically increasing his bond, using a new Texas law that passed just weeks before his court hearing that allows for defendants accused of specific charges to have their bonds increased at any time with little notice. 

    His last arrest occurred because the state alleged he violated his original bond conditions. After he made online searches for how to replace his Gameboy Advance SP battery, his bond officer searched up how to use that very battery to make “trigger devices” and shared it with the DA — alleging it was the defendant who had made those searches. He was released from custody after his attorneys were able to prove that the evidence against him was fabricated. 

    While all of this is concerning enough in and of itself, it is worth noting that the latest arrest in the case comes less than a month after felony charges were filed against Johnson County Sheriff Adam King, who is directly involved in this case. He is currently facing charges of aggravated perjury, corrupt influence, and abuse of official capacity.

    It is very clear that the state of Texas and the Feds are going above and beyond to establish antifascism as a thought crime that turns someone into an enemy of the state. When asked by a reporter what would happen to someone who took to the streets and proclaimed to be “Antifa” following the roundtable that occurred at the White House with right-wing personalities who “briefed” the president on “Antifa terrorism,” Donald Trump hinted towards the death penalty. This is the same roundtable where the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, referred to the broader “Antifa” movement as being equivalent to Hamas, Hezbollah, and MS-13.

    Given that these federal indictments in Texas are the first of their kind, the case of the Prairieland defendants will have massive implications and provide potential insight into how the federal government plans to target those that they deem “Antifa” and therefore enemies of the state.

    We will be following these cases closely and reporting on them as they proceed.

  • From “In Contempt”: October updates on the Prairieland case

    Reproduced below is a section from the October 18, 2025 publication of In Contempt, which is a now defunct monthly report on prison rebels, State repression, and news from an abolitionist perspective.

    The Prairieland case is a political protest case wherein the defendants are facing extreme repression. Following the U.S. federal government’s designation of “Antifa” as a domestic terrorist organization, the September 22, 2025 White House press release titled “President Trump Isn’t Backing Down from Crushing Radical Left Violence“ lists the Prairieland case as its first example of Antifa “terrorizing” communities. The label of Antifa is not simply a condemning rhetorical device by the state. It is a categorization that is—and will be—used by the state to go after protestors and dissenters.

    Practices common among anarchist and anti-authoritarian milieus, such as use of encrypted messaging platforms like Signal and distribution of zines and print literature, are being cited by the federal government as evidence of criminality and violent conspiracy. The fact that they point to zines as proof of intent to commit violence has broad implications for anarchist and leftist circles more broadly.

    On October 1, the state of Texas indicted 14 people on their state charges, adding an additional charge of “engaging in organized criminal activity” for all of them. The charges of the released defendant indicted in August remain the same, while two defendants have no state indictments as of October 3. In total, 15 defendants have been indicted on state charges, so at least 13 people will be fighting concurrent federal and state cases and hence will require legal representation on both fronts.

    During eight defendants’ preliminary federal hearings on September 30, the federal government presented a more elaborate legal case than one would typically expect at such a hearing, which is intended to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed to a trial. The government aims to construct a grand tale about criminal conspiracy, shaped by a supposed violent ideology, all based on commonplace and benign practices within political anti-authoritarian spaces. In spite of this, from hearing attendees’ perspectives, the prosecution did not come across as very strong.

    Regarding the Prairieland defendants themselves, by September 25, a majority of them were moved out of Johnson County Jail, the county where the Prairieland ICE detention center is located. This followed their arraignments on September 22 and 23; the arraignments were the first legal movement in the case since the initial arrests in July. Defendants were finally assigned federal public defenders.

    6 people, arraigned September 22, were then moved to Wichita County Detention Center, whose conditions are in some ways better. However, the call signal is more unreliable, resulting in more dropped calls.

    Furthermore, the jail is over 140 miles away from the Johnson County Jail, or 2+ hours northwest of the DFW metroplex, distancing defendants even more from their loved ones and imposing huge financial and time burdens on any DFW-local visitors. Additionally, the jail mandates that inmates do laborious tasks, like cleaning the yard, cells, and common areas, and it subjects them to random lineups. These demands frequently interrupt defendants’ phone calls. Taken together, these conditions result in less time for communication or other activities and greater isolation of the defendants from their loved ones as we try to stay in touch.

    7 other people, arraigned on September 23, were later transferred to Federal Medical Center (FMC) Fort Worth, where they face increased bureaucratic hurdles to authorize visitors. The prison has indicated that the primary means of communication with defendants is through physical written correspondence rather than digital messaging (which was available at Johnson County Jail). This means greater delays in receiving and sharing information with family, friends, and attorneys.

    As recently as October 2, at least 3 defendants were transferred back to Johnson County Jail. The repeated transfers have been wreaking havoc on defendants’ families and loved ones. We are left to scramble to locate them and update the public about the appropriate places to address letters to them to ensure they maintain a connection with the outside world. Changes in facilities have thrown the defendants’ schedules into chaos, and the items they have previously collected, such as clothes and books, have been taken away.

    At these new facilities, defendants have been placed into general population, unlike in Johnson County where they were held in solitary, segregated, or medical units since their arrests.

    One person, now released, has been subjected to GPS tracking and monitoring of and restrictions on their electronic device usage. They have been arrested and released a total of three times, with each arrest being incredibly disruptive to their life and the lives of their loved ones. The third arrest was for a false claim by the prosecution of bond condition violations, which it was forced to rescind when confronted with proof to the contrary.

    Further, we wanted to highlight that this defendant’s charge revolves around the mere removal of an individual from group chats – not even the deletion of messages. The exaggerated construal of removal of a group chat member as “tampering with or fabricating physical evidence” (the defendant’s charge) also has terrifying implications for how the state intends to lock down control over digital messaging platforms.

    Finally, in spite of nearly three months in jail, defendants have yet to be indicted.

    The government has designated “Antifa” a terrorist organization with an extremely broad and vague definition. This leaves room for anyone who claims to be anti-fascist, anyone who disagrees with the government, who uses Signal or who shares literature that the government finds unappealing, to be labeled as a terrorist and locked away. This is not something that stops with this case: the state will continue extending its overreach to demonize more and more people. We must not shy away from this fight – it is a protracted struggle, and this legal case is only the beginning. We are witnessing a wave of widening and intensifying state repression against all dissent. That is why our solidarity in fighting for these defendants must be a catalyst in a larger, connected movement to stop authoritarianism in all its forms and to seize freedom for the defendants and all of us. This is not the first struggle for liberation, and it will not be the last. But this moment could be a turning point. We simply have to take our places on the front lines.

    Steven Monacelli at the Barbed Wire has published an article examining the holes in the prosecution’s case.

    You can find printable flyers for the International Day of Solidarity on October 3rd here, along with a printable support zine for the defendants and a zine version of an interview with the DFW Support Committee from the last edition of this column.

  • NLG Stands with Anti-ICE Dissent, Calls for Solidarity with the Prairieland Defendants

    Reproduced below is a statement of support for the Prairieland Defendants issued by the National Lawyers Guild, which describes itself as the oldest and largest progressive bar association in the United States. It was published on October 17, 2025.

    Yesterday, a new indictment was revealed in North Texas that uses Trump’s new directive to go after “antifa” to prosecute the Prairieland Defendants. This is the first instance where the Trump Administration has framed “antifa” as a terrorist group in a criminal case. The National Lawyers Guild stands with anti-ICE dissent and calls for solidarity with the Prairieland Defendants. We cannot tolerate the dangerous criminalization of a noise demonstration against ICE.

    The U.S. government is no stranger in designating groups within the U.S. as enemies. It did so during the Second Red Scare, against alleged communists. The FBI declared war on the Civil Rights movement and crushed the Black Panther movement. In the middle of the so-called “war on terror”, it discretely framed environmentalists as “domestic terrorists” during the Green Scare. More recently, the supporters of the Free Palestine movement have been systematically attacked, and Stop Cop City protesters have been targeted as “domestic terrorists”. With each new wave of popular protest, the U.S. government has invested in creating enemies where there are none.

    That same federal government is attempting to paint a picture of organized “antifa” members, armed and willing to commit violence, in Texas. This is not the case. On July 4, people stood up for immigrants outside an ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, as thousands are doing elsewhere, through a noise demonstration. We know what the current administration is doing against anti-ICE dissent: using the FBI to target political enemies.

    Importantly, Texans routinely show up to protest with guns. It is not an anomaly, particularly because there is always a threat of armed right-wing counter protesters. Meanwhile, the federal government is allowing ICE and CBP to shoot and kill people, while using the National Guard to intimidate protestors. It is making enemies out of people exercising their First Amendment rights.

    We are alarmed by the appearance of federal prosecutors and agents coordinating with the Alvarado Police Department and Johnston County District Attorney’s Office to indefinitely detain the Prairieland Defendants through concurrent, extreme state and federal charges. Despite this incident occurring over three months ago, with allegations against defendants who weren’t even at the noise demonstration, the government is only now declaring that there was a so-called “antifa terrorist cell”, pursuant to Trump’s new directive. We reject the validity of these new claims.

    We must continue to fearlessly stand up for immigrants and against fascism. 

    Support the Prairieland Defendants here: https://dfwdefendants.wordpress.com

  • The National Lawyers Guild Stands in Support of the Prairieland Defendants Facing Unchecked Federal Repression

    Reproduced below is a statement of support for the Prairieland Defendants issued by the National Lawyers Guild, which describes itself as the oldest and largest progressive bar association in the United States. It was published on August 7, 2025 and has been edited for some typographical errors.

    From the Dallas-Fort Worth NLG Chapter:

    On July 4th, a noise demonstration took place outside of the ICE Prairieland Detention Center in Texas. What was a typical pro-immigrant protest has turned into a massive federal investigation, with 16 defendants now facing criminal charges. The National Lawyers Guild (NLG), the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, the TexOma region of the NLG, the San Antonio Chapter of the NLG, and the Mass Defense Committee of the NLG stand in support of the Prairieland Defendants.

    Community members went to the Prairieland Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Alvarado, Texas, to rally against ICE’s violent and relentless attacks on immigrants, and to express solidarity with those imprisoned inside the detention center. There was a planned noise demonstration at the facility, where fireworks were used, and other loud noises were made. Making noise outside of jails is an extremely common form of protest, extending solidarity to those behind bars. As the rally went on, ICE agents called the local police department. After local police arrived, one officer claimed to have sustained a minor injury to his neck by what the state claims was a gunshot. In response, the government has arrested 16 people, some through raids and traffic stops. Yet, through all of the federal government’s criminal complaints, only two people have been described as alleged shooters.

    Expansive and Unchecked State Repression

    Due to unchecked state repression, people present at the noise demonstration are now facing decades of prison time and years of pre-trial detention, regardless of their actions or knowledge. For weeks, local and federal agents have terrorized friends and family members of those arrested at the rally, serving no-knock warrants and conducting widespread surveillance. Multiple people arrested were not even at the demonstration on July 4th. Most defendants remain detained without formal charges, without legal representation, and in limbo between state and federal jurisdiction. Finding attorneys has been extremely difficult given the incredibly repressive behavior of the government.

    We are witnessing state repression in real time. It is clear that police and prosecutors hope that the deplorable conditions of imprisonment will break the defendants and compel cooperation under duress. State and federal agents are wielding their power to silence people who dissent, to terrify and deter the public from exercising their rights to protest, and to make an example of the Prairieland Defendants in order to quash anti-ICE speech. The government seems determined to criminalize everyone even remotely related to the July 4th rally, regardless of their level of involvement. The flurry of arrests and severe charges are meant to suppress political organizing and free speech.

    Defendants Facing Violent Jail Conditions

    Lawyers who have visited the defendants say Johnson County Jail’s conditions are reprehensible. At least two defendants have been placed in solitary confinement without any explanation. One defendant was forced to clean the walls of feces left by a previously held prisoner. The defendants’ ability to communicate with friends and family outside the jail has been restricted at least twice, without any notice or explanation. At least three of the defendants are being strip-searched regularly, even though they are in solitary confinement. Two of the defendants are vegan and were not fed appropriate food. The jail has denied multiple defendants necessary medical accommodations such as a basic pillow and blood pressure medication, resulting in serious pain and potentially lasting injury. Additionally, trans individuals have been dead-named and misgendered by the jail, the media, and their own state-appointed attorneys, even though their names have been legally changed to reflect their gender.

    Making matters worse, the majority of the defendants are under federal investigations, yet are still being held on state charges. The state’s actions reflect their aim to criminalize people who stand up to ICE’s excesses. We have seen similar repression in Atlanta, Georgia, Spokane, Washington, and Los Angeles, California. It is abominable to arrest and detain people simply for their proximity to an alleged offense, in the absence of probable cause. The state’s case has failed to afford the defendants their due process and is a clear violation of their rights.

    To support the defendants, contribute here: https://givesendgo.com/supportDFWprotestors

  • From “In Contempt”: DFW Support Committee on Resisting Repression

    Reproduced below is a section from the September 3, 2025 publication of In Contempt, which is a monthly report on prison rebels, State repression, and news from an abolitionist perspective. It has been edited for some typographical errors.

    Feature: Interview with Dallas Fort Worth Support Committee on Pushing Back Against Repression

    We reported in last month’s column, a wave of repression has hit the DFW region of Texas, following a noise demo outside of an ICE facility in July. As a recent statement from the DFW chapter of the National Lawyers Guild wrote about the case:

    On July 4th, a noise demonstration took place outside of the ICE Prairieland Detention Center in Texas. What was a typical pro-immigrant protest has turned into a massive federal investigation, with 16 defendants now facing criminal charges. The National Lawyers Guild (NLG), the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, the TexOma region of the NLG, the San Antonio Chapter of the NLG, and the Mass Defense Committee of the NLG stand in support of the Prairieland Defendants.

    Community members went to the Prairieland Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Alvarado, Texas, to rally against ICE’s violent and relentless attacks on immigrants, and to express solidarity with those imprisoned inside the detention center. There was a planned noise demonstration at the facility, where fireworks were used, and other loud noises were made. Making noise outside of jails is an extremely common form of protest, extending solidarity to those behind bars. As the rally went on, ICE agents called the local police department. After local police arrived, one officer claimed to have sustained a minor injury to his neck by what the state claims was a gunshot. In response, the government has arrested 16 people, some through raids and traffic stops. Yet, through all of the federal government’s criminal complaints, only two people have been described as alleged shooters.

    Due to unchecked state repression, people present at the noise demonstration are now facing decades of prison time and years of pre-trial detention, regardless of their actions or knowledge. For weeks, local and federal agents have terrorized friends and family members of those arrested at the rally, serving no-knock warrants and conducting widespread surveillance. Multiple people arrested were not even at the demonstration on July 4th. Most defendants remain detained without formal charges, without legal representation, and in limbo between state and federal jurisdiction. Finding attorneys has been extremely difficult given the incredibly repressive behavior of the government.

    We are witnessing state repression in real time. It is clear that police and prosecutors hope that the deplorable conditions of imprisonment will break the defendants and compel cooperation under duress. State and federal agents are wielding their power to silence people who dissent, to terrify and deter the public from exercising their rights to protest, and to make an example of the Prairieland Defendants in order to quash anti-ICE speech. The government seems determined to criminalize everyone even remotely related to the July 4th rally, regardless of their level of involvement. The flurry of arrests and severe charges are meant to suppress political organizing and free speech.

    Lawyers who have visited the defendants say Johnson County Jail’s conditions are reprehensible. At least two defendants have been placed in solitary confinement without any explanation. One defendant was forced to clean the walls of feces left by a previously held prisoner. The defendants’ ability to communicate with friends and family outside the jail has been restricted at least twice, without any notice or explanation. At least three of the defendants are being strip-searched regularly, even though they are in solitary confinement. Two of the defendants are vegan and were not fed appropriate food. The jail has denied multiple defendants necessary medical accommodations such as a basic pillow and blood pressure medication, resulting in serious pain and potentially lasting injury. Additionally, trans individuals have been dead-named and misgendered by the jail, the media, and their own state-appointed attorneys, even though their names have been legally changed to reflect their gender.

    Making matters worse, the majority of the defendants are under federal investigations, yet are still being held on state charges. The state’s actions reflect their aim to criminalize people who stand up to ICE’s excesses. We have seen similar repression in Atlanta, Georgia, Spokane, Washington, and Los Angeles, California. It is abominable to arrest and detain people simply for their proximity to an alleged offense, in the absence of probable cause. The state’s case has failed to afford the defendants their due process and is a clear violation of their rights.

    So far, a fundraiser has been launched to support those arrested, a zine has been made to print out and distribute, and a website has also been set up. Wanting to know more about the campaign to support those facing repression, we reached out for an interview with the DWF Support Committee.

    IC: Can you tell us about what’s been happening in Texas this month?

    DFWSC: The month of July was really hard. The Trump administration and its FBI have been relentlessly terrorizing friends and family of the defendants across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, raiding their homes, and in one case, literally tackling them on the street and placing with a bag over their head in an attempt to force them to talk. The repression that we are experiencing is like nothing that we have dealt with before. This has also meant the total number of defendants has increased, mostly, it seems, following a manhunt for someone the state alleges was involved with the protest on July 4th. The total number of defendants we’re aware of is now seventeen.

    On the legal front, things remain at a standstill. In Texas, you can be held without being formally indicted on a case like this for at least 90 days, and until the federal government decides to move forward, they can leave people in detention limbo. We’ve heard lawyers call this “the speedy trial loophole,” and it means defendants do not have access to federal public defenders; the few defendants who have been assigned state-level public defenders have been told by those very lawyers that they won’t talk to the defendants until they are formally indicted by the state. Most defendants need to go the public defender route at this point because, given their charges, private lawyers are quoting extremely high retainer fees. It’s a very stressful situation because people are really suffering in this shitty county jail with very minimal access to lawyers. It leaves us asking, Why is nothing moving? If the government thinks it has such a strong case, why not move forward? Honestly, at this point, we suspect the state prosecutors and the feds are stuck. They probably have no evidence of the outlandish claims they’re making, and they want to memory hole our loved ones so that no one asks any questions and everyone subsequently forgets about them. But we won’t let the state do that to our friends and family.

    The big positive of the last few weeks has been the efforts to bring people together so that we can remain strong, both for ourselves and for our people inside. This includes making sure that other people know about their stories and what is happening to our loved ones. Isolation only furthers the state’s power. We win when we stick together. The initial protest was an effort to show solidarity with those detained and brutalized by ICE, and so we on the outside need to follow that intention and show bravery and solidarity of our own.

    IC: Can you tell us the ways that people’s rights have been violated following the raids? A recent update posted to GiveSendGo paints a very frightening picture, alleging that people have been offered bribes and denied legal counsel. What’s going on?

    DFWSC: The state continues with their wave of force against the defendants and their families and friends. Johnson County Jail gives defendants the runaround by providing inconsistent information about the length of time defendants have supposedly lost access to commissary and in-person visits for being “on punishment.” Defendants have informed us that they have been put in solitary with no explanation as to why. One reported that they were moved to a solitary unit where the cell walls were covered in feces, and they were given rags and made to clean the feces.

    We truly do not know the full extent of the defendants’ experiences in the jail because we are just now beginning to have more consistent contact with some of the defendants. Legal counsel has been minimal, and even then, the jail has even denied some lawyers visitation when they’ve gone to see the defendants. In Texas, you are required to file paperwork proving you can’t afford a lawyer before a state attorney is assigned to you. Our people’s paperwork has been denied for being apparently ‘incomplete,’ even though the jail itself instructed the defendants to fill out minimal information on the forms.

    Friends have been detained and interrogated just for going to visit folks. Defendants are being violated by regular strip searches, sometimes even multiple within a day even when they’re held in solitary. This process also includes correction officers ransacking people’s cells, and in one case, taking a defendant’s notes from their lawyer meetings. This is obviously a scare tactic intended to isolate the defendants from the outside world and leave them vulnerable.

    IC: What are the best ways for people to support the defendants at the moment?

    DFWSC: The GiveSendGo fundraiser is a great way for people who have extra funds to throw in for legal support. We also ask that people write to the defendants and show that there are people out there who do care and support them. We all know the horrors of the carceral system, so we need to let the defendants know they aren’t alone in there.

    Recent event in Portland, OR

    Some people have started organizing letter writing events and fundraisers across the country. We really appreciate that kind of initiative, solidarity, and momentum. Our main goal right now is making sure our people inside know that they’re loved and supported, and it’s great to see so many people from around the world coming out to show that. We want to encourage more solidarity across struggles and geographies.

    IC: It seems like the case really hasn’t made the news in wider anti-Trump circles, do you have any thoughts about why that is? Are there any requests you would make of people in terms of helping to publicize the situation?

    DFWSC: We think this is a test case for how the state enacts their repression of the left and liberation struggles moving forward. We already see that they have started moving and arresting people in the Pacific Northwest. But in terms of the larger media narrative, we don’t really have a good answer on that. It’s possible they don’t want this to reach the public eye for a couple different reasons. They can see that people are already angry, that people are already standing up. Something like this depicted across mass media could inspire people to take more action or enrage more people that the state is suppressing protestors like this. The government wants to carry out its political repression as clandestinely as possible. They don’t want to show how angry people are, they don’t want the larger public to know that people are rising up, that people have the power to resist and protest their government, that normal people have the power to stand together and take action in the face of authoritarianism. It could also be just the brief nature of news cycle; now that the initial fantastical story has passed, the state hasn’t released any more tantalizing evidence. They haven’t released the video footage they allegedly have, they haven’t moved forward with any legal process, they’re just sitting on it. So there’s a very real possibility the government is realizing they overplayed their hand and want to keep things in the confusing haze of the early days.

    As for how people can spread the word about this situation, the best answer would be to talk about it: talk about it with your groups, your friends, your families. Share the story across social media platforms. We’re really grateful some folks have started making some graphics and posts about this situation. The main message to share is that the official government story makes no sense and that the real terror is the groups of armed masked officers kidnapping people off the street. This is something that doesn’t have to be spoken about in purely leftist circles. This is a story of authoritarian oppression, and it won’t stop with us.

    IC: It seems like there’s a danger where on the one hand, there’s a temptation to erase the militancy from a movement to appeal to liberal supporters, and then on the other hand, people can just glamorize images of militancy in a way that can actually let the state set the agenda by not questioning what really happened. Do you have any thoughts on how to avoid these traps?

    DFWSC: The fact of the matter is that we don’t know what happened that night. With so little information like this, it can be an easy trap to fall into, to regurgitate the state’s narrative. This is even more important when the claims in this case are so dubious. If you read the official complaints, you’ll see how little evidence there is, and the fact is that we know our people were planning on coming home that night. We know that there was a noise demonstration planned, and we know that the reason people planned any form of resistance to ICE is because of the authoritarian policies of the state, not only here in Texas but across the country. When talking about this situation, speak to what we do know: 1) people were arrested for protesting the government and 2) the state lies. Regardless of what happened on July 4th, no one deserves the treatment the defendants have been subjected to, and this whole situation is an attempt to squash dissent and destroy the movement.

    For information you can follow along with updates on the GiveSendGo fundraiser and on the website.

    IC: We’ve seen suggestions that two of the defendants are now cooperating – is there anything you can say about this, and how might it affect how support is organized going forward?

    Because of the way this case is being handled and how slow it’s progressed on the legal front, it’s really difficult to discern the full picture of information like that. However, if you read the federal complaints, you’ll see some statements attributed to defendants, so it’s likely that, in the heat of initial arrest, some defendants made choices that we on the committee think were a mistake. But we consider that type of mistake very different from “cooperating.” For us “cooperating” means active and ongoing participation in the state building a case against other defendants. Everyone involved in the defense committee at this point is committed to solidarity, and we support people exercising their constitutional rights. This situation should be a good reminder to everyone else that the safest and smartest thing to say to the police is absolutely nothing. You have a right to remain silent, and you should use it.

    IC: Anything else you’d like to state? 

    DFWSC: We are currently coordinating a day of solidarity at the 90-day mark of the defendants’ arrests after the July 4th demo: Friday, October 3rd, 2025. The 90-day mark is significant because under Texas law, the defendants can only be held in jail for 90 days without an indictment.

    Adam King, the sheriff of the Johnson County Jail, where most of the defendants are being held, was arrested and faces felony sexual harassment and retaliation charges as of August 28, 2025.

    On August 7th, seventeenth person, Susan Kent, was arrested in relation to this case. Dario Sanchez was also indicted at the state level, unlike all other defendants with state charges.

    Our fundraiser has also surpassed $30,000. All defendants have been assigned state public defenders or retained counsel at the state level. However, there has been no movement in the federal cases.

    Defendants’ horrible jail conditions have continued however and many remain in solitary or segregated units away from the general population. Defendants are facing mandatory strip searches every time they leave their cells. To combat these conditions, we organized a few phone zaps targeting Johnson County Judge Christopher Boedeker, which seemed to reduce the number of strip searches to which defendants were being subjected.

    Since this interview was conducted, the Defense Committee have issued a further statement:

    We are aggrieved to report that the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office has arrested another member of the Dallas-Fort Worth community in relation to the July 4th Prairieland ICE Detention Center protest, bringing the total number of defendants in the case to seventeen. This person, Susan Kent, was also a member of the DFW Support Committee, the defense committee for the Prairieland Defendants. Like the rest of the defendants, their bond amount is set to an absurd and prohibitive $10 million dollars. We denounce this escalation by the state in its desperate attempts to criminalize people showing solidarity with those being kidnapped by ICE and to undermine dissent against rising authoritarianism.

    From the beginning, this case has been rife with inconsistencies, unbelievable accusations, and violence against the defendants and their loved ones. We do not know the state’s allegations against Susan, but we believe this arrest is part of the state’s attempt to terrorize the residents of Dallas-Fort Worth. To arrest someone well over a month after the July 4th event signals the state’s dogged attempt to tear through this community. Susan was actively working to support the defendants, to advocate for them to get the best legal defense possible and encourage them to exercise their constitutional rights. Forcing this person to endure the same horrific conditions as the defendants they were working to support fits the state’s tactics of repression in this case: brutalizing defendants’ family members, conducting violent raids, subjecting defendants to solitary confinement, incessantly strip searching defendants, and other cruelty, such as forcing a defendant to clean feces off the walls of their cell. This case is emblematic of the outrageous arrests happening around the country, including in Spokane, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, as well as the unnecessary federalization of police in Washington DC, all while legal cases against protestors in Los Angeles are falling apart due to lack of evidence. These actions by the state are not meant to seek justice or truth. They instead intend to terrify us and fracture solidarity among our movements. But we won’t let them succeed.

    Our friends and loved ones sought to show support for immigrants and ICE detainees facing brutal violence at the hands of the state. The Prairieland defendants are not terrorists. The real terrorists are the ICE agents kidnapping people off the street, destroying families and communities. We are devastated at Susan’s arrest, but we are not deterred. We call on all those who support resistance and seek a freer world to stand up against this brutality and repression. For more information about the Prairieland defendants and how you can help raise funds for their defense, please go to dfwdefendants.wordpress.com or donate to the crowd fundraiser at givesendgo.com/supportDFWprotestors.

    As well as the main fundraiser, a second has been set up to support the family of Maricela Rueda, and the Screwston Anti-Fascist Committee are now selling t-shirts and posters to fundraise for the defendants. You can find an updated version of the Prarieland Defendants support zine here, and another zine has been made specifically to highlight the case of Des Revol, along with a printable design for “zines are not a crime – free Des” buttons. You can find more about Des’ case at his Instagram.

  • From “In Contempt”: Repression Against Anti-ICE Protesters Ramps Up

    Reproduced below is a section from the August 7, 2025 publication of In Contempt, which is a monthly report on prison rebels, State repression, and news from an abolitionist perspective.

    Arrests Following Anti-ICE Protests in Texas Lead to Targeted State Repression

    From the DFW Support Committee:

    On the night of July 4th, local police arrested 10 people outside the ICE Prairieland detention facility in Alvarado, Texas after a noise demonstration in solidarity with those being kidnapped and detained by the Trump administration. Since then, 6 more people have been arrested in connection with the case.  We don’t know all of the circumstances leading to the arrests. We do know that popular outrage and resistance to deportations is growing across the country. Organizers, activists, and affected communities have spent the year organizing rallies and protests outside of detention centers just like the one in Alvarado. The 16 people arrested currently face serious charges aimed not only at ruining their lives, but signaling an authoritarian criminalization of dissent and protest against ICE. Local authorities have set bail at $10 million per person.

    A website for the DFW Support Committee has now been set up and an Instagram account can be followed here. The Support Committee has organized several phone and email zaps regarding the abusive treatment of the defendants, and report:

    We held a call in day on Monday and Tuesday of this week to address the continual violation and denial of the Prairieland Defendants Constitutional rights. The jail is conducting unnecessary and degrading strip searches of defendants multiple times a day even though they are being held in solitary confinement away from others. The jail is blocking defendants’ communication access then lying to defendants and deflecting the blame. None of these defendants have been formally charged with any crimes yet they are being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment.

    Here is a statement from one of the defendants about their conditions:

    “Usually awoken by yelling of my name, I am ordered to strip completely naked. Bleary eyed I am ordered to hand my shirt, pants, underwear, socks, and shoes through the single dirty metal mail slot that passes all of my food, books, trash, broom, toilet plunger. I am ordered to hold my mouth open with my fingers. I am ordered to lift and move my genitals with my hands. Turn around, squat and cough three times, make sure it’s forceful and loud.

    Then I quickly dress and am handcuffed and taken out of my cell.

    So all of my belongings can be tossed and picked through. Leaving random piles with no declaration or explanation. I can stress and search to find out if anything is taken.

    Sometimes it’s all my food. Sometimes it’s my legally protected questions and notes for my attorneys.

    Sometimes it’s a random poem or doodle. Sometimes nothing is taken.

    This happens at any time, at all hours, without warning. Multiple times a day. Every day. Without reason or ever finding anything like contraband.”

    For more information, check out this interview from the Final Straw Radio (also available in printable and screen-reading zine format) and this zine of information.

    You can donate to their legal costs here. Numerous support events are being organized, such as at Monkeywrench Books in Austin, who are hosting regular letter-writing nights, and another one is planned on August 15th in Portland.

    New statement posted to legal fundraiser for those arrested at #Texas anti-ICE rally: “These criminal charges are a dangerous stunt…the framing of the case by the government should be concerning to all…glaring inconsistencies and alarmist accusations…” www.givesendgo.com/supportdfwpr…

    [image or embed]— It’s Going Down (@igd.bsky.social) July 11, 2025 at 7:37 PM

    To keep up with the case, you can check the DFW Support Committee, Fire Ant Movement Defense, and Free Des pages, or email dfwsupportcommittee@hacari.com.