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  • Federal Agents Arrest Another Person in Prairieland Case, Bringing Total Number of Defendants to 18

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                             October 22, 2025
     

    Contact: DFW Support Committee

    Email: dfwsupportcommittee@hacari.com

    Website: dfwdefendants.wordpress.com

    Federal Agents Arrest Another Person in Prairieland Case, Bringing Total Number of Defendants to 18
     

    The Arrest Comes More Than Three Months After July 4 Immigrant Solidarity Protest and Less Than a Month After Felony Charges Were Brought Against Johnson County Sheriff Adam King, Who Is Directly Involved in the Prairieland Case

    DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX — In an early morning raid yesterday, federal agents arrested another person in connection with a July 4 protest at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center. More than three months after the protest, Janette Goering was arrested by federal and local police at her home in Carrollton, Texas, on Tuesday, October 21. Goering is being held at Johnson County Jail on a state charge of aiding in the commission of terrorism and has a bond set at $5 million.

    Goering’s arrest continues a trend of escalation by police and prosecutors in a case that now involves 18 defendants. The government is using exorbitant bonds of up to $15 million to imprison all but one of the defendants. “It’s unbelievable that more than three months later the state is still trying to widen the net in this case,” said a spokesperson for the DFW Support Committee, a group of family and loved ones of defendants. “They’re attempting to prosecute this as an “Antifa” case in order to terrorize the movement in solidarity with immigrants, but it’s not going to work.”

    The case has been hailed by the Trump administration as the first legal case against “Antifa.” On October 15, federal charges were formally brought against two of the Prairieland defendants, Autumn Hill and Zachary Evetts; the charges include 1 count of providing material support to terrorists, 3 counts of attempted murder of officers and employees of the United States, and 3 counts of discharging a firearm during, in relation to, and in furtherance of a crime of violence. FBI director Kash Patel called the defendants “Antifa-aligned anarchist violent extremists,” sharing Fox News coverage of the indictments on X. “This seems like a coordinated political campaign,” said Stephanie Shiver, wife of defendant Meagan Morris. “The feds didn’t do anything for months and then they bring everyone into court just days after Trump designated ‘Antifa’ a priority threat.” On September 25, the White House released the National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7), which ordered all federal law enforcement agencies to prioritize combating “Antifa” as a domestic terrorism threat.  

    The Department of Justice (DOJ) has doubled down on the political nature of the prosecution. In a lengthy federal hearing to establish probable cause to detain the defendants, the federal government raised political ideas expressed in group messages, political literature known as “zines,” and even board games found at defendants’ houses. Of significance was commercial printing equipment seized the week prior from the home of two defendants. The DOJ claimed that this equipment and the defendants’ production of left-wing reading materials, including zines and books, were evidence of their responsibility for 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.”

    On October 1, the State of Texas indicted 14 people on charges including 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 imposed an additional charge of “engaging in organized criminal activity” for all 14 defendants. A total of 15 defendants have been indicted on state charges, meaning most defendants will be forced to fight concurrent federal and state cases.

    Yesterday’s arrest comes just three weeks after criminal charges were filed against Johnson County Sheriff Adam King, whose office is working with the federal government to prosecute the Prairieland defendants. Supporters of the defendants call into question the credibility and integrity of King and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. “I’m just worried about the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office respecting defendants’ rights and following the law,” said Irina Popova, member of the DFW Support Committee. King is facing four felony charges, including aggravated perjury, corrupt influence, and abuse of official capacity, casting doubt about the veracity of the Prairieland case.

    False accusations by Johnson County law enforcement play a major role in recent developments in the case against Dario Sanchez, the sole defendant released on bond. Sanchez faces state charges of hindering prosecution of terrorism and tampering with / fabricating physical evidence.

    “I’ve been arrested and released three times, each one more ridiculous than the last,” said Sanchez. “At times I’ve felt numb or distraught, but more than anything, I’m angry at how my life has been stolen from me. I’m not about to let anyone make me shy away from who I am or what I believe in.” Sanchez was rearrested on September 22, based on a false claim by the prosecution that he violated his bond conditions. The government was forced to rescind the claim when confronted with proof to the contrary. As part of his release, Sanchez is required to submit to GPS tracking and monitoring and restriction of his electronic device usage. The charges against Sanchez simply stem from him removing someone from private group text chats. “The accusation that someone tampered with evidence for removing someone from a group chat is absurd,” said Popova. “The case against Sanchez shows how desperate the state is to criminalize these defendants.”

    “This unending criminal investigation should alarm anyone who believes in the right to protest the government,” reflects Xavier T. de Janon, Director of Mass Defense at the National Lawyers Guild (https://www.nlg.org/nlg-stands-with-anti-ice-dissent-calls-for-solidarity-with-the-prairieland-defendants/). “We cannot tolerate the dangerous criminalization of a noise demonstration against ICE.”

    The Prairieland case has garnered widespread attention and expressions of solidarity. On October 3, the DFW Support Committee called for a Day of International Solidarity. Groups of people from Seoul, South Korea, to Athens, Greece, showed support for the Prairieland defendants in the form of banner drops, letter writing campaigns, and other solidarity events.

    With the start of the federal cases, the majority of the defendants were transferred to new jails. Ines Soto, Meagan Morris, Benjamin Song, Autumn Hill, and Zachary Evetts are now held at the Federal Medical Facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Elizabeth Soto, Savanna Batten, Maricela Rueda, Joy Gibson, and Rebecca Morgan are now being held at the Wichita County Detention Center. Family members have voiced concerns about the distance and new restrictions faced by those held at the Wichita County facility. Amber Lowrey, sister of Savanna Batten, said, “We now have to drive two and a half hours just to see our sister, and it’s been really hard to make phone calls work between technical issues or some arbitrary discipline.”

    The various cases stem from a noise demonstration in solidarity with ICE detainees at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, on July 4, 2025. Toward the end of the demonstration, an officer with the Alvarado Police Department arrived and allegedly quickly became involved in an exchange of gunfire with someone else on the scene. The officer sustained minor injuries, and was released from the hospital shortly afterwards. Ten people were arrested at the scene, and a manhunt ensued in the subsequent days for another defendant. Eight more defendants were arrested in the days and weeks following the protest.

    Relevant Federal Case Numbers:

    4:25-mj-00451-BJ (Sanchez Estrada)
    4:25-mj-00452-BJ (Initial 10 arrested)
    4:25-mj-00468-BJ (Song)
    4:25-mj-00479-BP (Sharp and Thomas)
    4:25-mj-00495-BJ (Morgan)
    4:25-cr-259-P (Arnold and Evetts)

  • 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

  • Defendant Dario Sanchez’s experiences in jail and after release on bond

    Read more about Dario Sanchez here.

    At first, my incarceration was the same as everyone else’s. Isolation, in a dirty cell. After my bond was lowered and I was released, they pull a bait & switch at a hearing to add conditions to my release. They indicted me on a second charge and sent me to jail for labor day weekend.

    While I was in booking for two days, I heard a young, disabled man in an isolated cell scream and beg for his parents for hours at a time. I can still feel the thump of his body against the door and walls because it shook my cell too. When I went to make a phone call, I watched a guard spark up his taser and joke about hurting that boy. Eventually, the guards agreed to put him in our holding cell if he calmed down. I had to take the lead and comfort him, talking to him about his loved ones while trying not cry, because I knew that if I couldn’t keep him calm, they’d hurt him again. Guards would taunt and laugh at him or crack jokes, and I couldn’t bear to see it happen again. Hours later they housed me in gen-pop and I hoped he made it home.

    My third arrest was a clown-show. My local PD followed me halfway to Johnson County where I was called in for a random piss test. They boxed me in and drew guns on me, ordered me out, and cuffed me before cussing each other out because one guy didn’t properly execute their tactical twink capture.

    Later, at the jail, they got the cuffs stuck on me because the guard bought his key off of Amazon and it got stuck. Fifteen minutes later, they popped it free and put me in stripes. All of this happened because my bond officer saw me search for how to replace my Gameboy Advance SP battery, then he apparently searched up how to use that battery to make “trigger devices” and passed it off to the DA who then said I searched that up. When my lawyers showed them proof that I never did that, they had to back off immediately.

    Between now and the end of my trial I cannot look at anything anti-government or violent, not even movies or music. My phone is monitored by spyware that logs all my activity.

  • Prairieland Defendants Arraigned in Fort Worth Federal Court

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 24, 2025

    CONTACT: DFW Support Committee

    EMAIL: dfwsupportcommittee@hacari.com

    Prairieland Defendants Arraigned in Fort Worth Federal Court

    Defendants Remain in Custody on up to $10 Million Bonds for Unindicted Charges

    DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX — Defendants arrested in connection with the widely-covered July 4th protest at the Prairieland Immigration Detention Center were arraigned on Monday and Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Fort Worth. The arraignments came after nearly three months without movement by the prosecution and marks an important milestone in one of the most significant protest-related legal cases at a time of rising public dissent against Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

    Currently, 17 people are facing charges ranging from attempted murder to obstruction of justice following a protest that defendants and supporters are confident was not planned to be violent. The police allege that shots were fired by one person, injuring an officer; this single allegation has expanded to accusations the defendants were involved in a vast conspiracy. “The police are clearly using this as an opportunity to criminalize protest against ICE detentions and deportations,” said Stephanie Shiver, wife of defendant Meagan Morris. “Their narrative is ridiculous and unbelievable.”

    Supporters also found it notable that these arraignments are taking place so long after the arrests. “The defendants have been in legal limbo because the state has no case,” continued Shiver. “Nothing in this case has been handled normally and it really feels like they’re spinning a story rather than seeking justice.” Defendants have been held in the Johnson County Jail since July on state bonds of up to $10 million.

    Despite the arraignment, in a highly unusual step for such a high profile case, only one defendant has been indicted so far – Dario Sanchez on state charges. No federal indictments have been released. A number of the defendants will have preliminary hearings to establish the federal government’s right to continue detaining the defendants; these hearings are scheduled for September 30th, beginning at 9:00 am before Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton.

    The defendants arraigned on Monday were all transported to the Wichita Falls County Jail on Tuesday with no notice to family or supporters. Family members worry about the additional strain caused by such a long distance to travel for visitation.

    Dario Sanchez, who was released on bond when it was reduced to $150,000 in August, was rearrested on Monday due to what the police allege were internet searches that violated the terms of his release. The district attorney has moved that his bond be increased back to $1 million due to the nature of his charges. This move is an early example of a new Texas law that went into effect at the beginning of September allowing those charged with certain offenses to have their bonds increased at any time with little notice (https://www.keranews.org/news/2025-09-23/dario-sanchez-prairieland-ice-detention-center-shooting-rearrested).

    The case is significant in a nationwide landscape of increased protest activity against ICE and its immigration raids. Experts believes the outcome of this case should be concerning to those exercising their rights. “Millions of people across the country are joining protests against injustices happening around us,” said Xavier T. de Janon, Director of Mass Defense at the National Lawyers Guild. “If the federal government can snatch protestors for months, with no quick recourse, then we are all in danger.”

    The conditions inside Johnson County Jail are notoriously bad (https://www.keranews.org/criminal-justice/2025-09-08/woman-gives-birth-johnson-county-jail). Currently, 10 defendants are being held in solitary confinement with no official reason or justification. “Medical care and visitation with lawyers have been denied, and strip searches occur multiple times a day,” said Amber Lowrey, sister of defendant Savanna Batten. “Defendants have been trapped due to malfunctioning doors, forced to clean up other inmates’ feces, and to witness the abuse of other prisoners through neglect and dehumanization.” Johnson County and its jail have recently been subject to public scrutiny after the sheriff was arrested on charges of sexual harassment and intimidating a witness, and a prisoner was forced to give birth in her jail cell.

    “We got married in November,” said Lydia Koza, wife of defendant Autumn Hill. “We’re in our early thirties. We were expecting the next several years together to be the prime of our lives. Now we’ve been separated for nearly three months and expect this process to take several years to resolve. The phone contractor GTL has already charged me $2,000 for basic access to contact with my wife and my housemate Meagan — and that’s just me. All of that money is coming straight out of our household’s ability to survive.”

    Friends and family have formed a committee, known as the DFW Support Committee, to ensure the defendants have the best legal defense possible. They have launched a public fundraiser (https://www.givesendgo.com/supportDFWprotestors) and called for an international day of solidarity with the defendants on October 3rd (https://www.instagram.com/dfwsupportcommittee/p/DOSE1-GDn_C/).

    Recent news reporting incorrectly claimed the committee was affiliated with the Socialist Rifle Association (SRA) and made unsupported accusations that the July 4th protest was organized by the SRA, a claim that has not been made by law enforcement. A spokesperson from the committee said, “As friends and family of the defendants, we have sought to bring light to the misuse of the law in Johnson County, and the abuses suffered by the defendants during their arrest and imprisonment. We have no affiliation with any larger organizations.”

    “We are relieved that the legal process is moving forward, allowing many of the defendants to receive proper legal representation,” said Irina Popova, a member of the DFW Support Committee. “We look forward to our loved ones having their day in court. Their rights to assemble and speak are being unjustly trampled.”

    Hearing Location:

    Federal Courthouse, 5th Courtroom, 501 West 10th Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102

    Relevant Case Numbers:

    4:25-mj-00451-BJ

    4:25-mj-00452-BJ

    4:25-mj-00468-BJ

    4:25-mj-00479-BP

  • 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

  • Statement of Solidarity with Prairieland Defendants

    Below is a statement of solidarity with the Prairieland defendants, which we encourage individuals, organizations, and groups to reproduce to demonstrate their support!

    We also ask that people plan for the October 3, 2025 international day of action in solidarity with the Prairieland defendants!

    We stand in solidarity with the Prairieland Defendants as community members and pursuers of a better world. In supporting them, we do it with love for their humanity, grief for their confinement, and rage for the repression they face. On July 4, 2025, protesters gathered to make a display of noise and fireworks to express solidarity with immigrants and ICE detainees at the kidnapping facility, the Prairieland Detention Center, in Johnson County. In the early morning of July 5, 10 DFW comrades were arrested; since then, the other 7 defendants were arrested as part of a wave of terrifying raids and surveillance. The state’s narrative about what happened that night and in the nights that followed is dubious and full of inconsistencies.

    This case matters because not only are loved ones and comrades facing horrific conditions in the Johnson County Jail but their incarceration represents a growing pattern of movement repression. As ICE resistance amplifies, met with fascist government takeovers and ICE hiring incentives, solidarity with those stolen from their communities is ever more needed to nourish a culture of care rather than a culture of cruelty.

    This case will almost certainly be used to justify sweeping expansion of repression not only of popular movements but all political activity in opposition to Trump and his regime. Authoritarianism can already be felt in everything from the US arming the Gaza genocide to the building of Cop Cities all over the country. ICE Fascism rips away the foundations of communities, spreading fear, distrust, and segregation, and criminalizes dissent. Communities are being destroyed by masked fascists everyday and are in need of support and defense — just like the Prairieland Defendants and everyone deprived of social ties and comforts due to systems of incarceration and displacement.

    We stand with the DFW Support Committee as they support the Prairieland defendants, loving them through their separation from the world. We will spread the word of their struggle, help build legal defense so our comrades can see a sky without walls or chains, and promote community events and actions to rebuild community support, which state repression seeks to destroy. Through it all, side by side with our community members and loved ones on the inside, we will build a wall of resistance and resilience against the State’s efforts to dismantle our movements.

  • 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.

  • Another Person Arrested in Connection to Prairieland ICE Detention Center Protest on July 4

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 13, 2025

    CONTACT: DFW Support Committee

    EMAIL: dfwsupportcommittee@hacari.com

    Another Person Arrested in Connection to Prairieland ICE Detention Center Protest on July 4, Bringing Total Number of Arrests to 17, Prompting a Public Statement from Supporters

    People Are Being Held on Bonds of Up to $15 Million, But Most People Currently in Custody Have No Formal Charges and No Legal Representation More Than a Month After the Incident

    DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX — Another person was arrested last week in connection with the Prairieland Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center protest on July 4, 2025, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 17. Susan Kent was arrested by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office on August 7 and is currently being held on a $10 million bond at Johnson County Jail. Sixteen people arrested in connection to the Prairieland protest are being held at Johnson County Jail on bonds of up to $15 million. One defendant is being held separately at Federal Medical Center, Fort Worth. Kent is being accused of engaging in organized criminal activity and hindering the prosecution of terrorism, but the state has released no information regarding the arrest and the probable cause documents have not been made public.

    Most people currently in custody have no formal charges and have no legal representation more than a month after the incident. No progress has occurred in any of the cases, and no hearings or legal proceedings are currently scheduled.

    The July 4 demonstrations outside of the ICE Detention Center were a typical immigrant solidarity protest that has since turned into a massive federal investigation. During the planned “noise” demonstration at the facility, ICE agents called the local police. When an officer from the Alvarado Police Department arrived, an altercation occurred, after which the officer claimed to have sustained a minor injury. Police arrested 10 people near the scene, including some blocks away, on the basis that they were dressed alike, and seven more were arrested in subsequent weeks. During that time, local and federal agents have terrorized friends and family members of those arrested at the protest, serving no-knock warrants, conducting house raids, making arrests at traffic stops, and engaging in widespread surveillance. Multiple people arrested were not even at the protest.

    The DFW support committee, a group of family and friends of defendants in this case, released a statement today, repudiating the arrest of Kent, one of its members, and connecting it to a wider pattern of state repression against anti-ICE protestors.

    “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,” says the statement. It goes on to say, “We are devastated at Susan’s arrest, but we are not deterred. We call on those who support resistance and seek a freer world to stand up against this brutality and repression.”

    To read the entire statement released today by the DFW Support Committee, go to: https://www.dfwdefendants.wordpress.com/2025/08/13/public-statement-august-13-2025/

    The expansion of this case was also alarming to experts on political repression. Meagan Knuth from the National Lawyers Guild said, “We’re seeing a rise in these sorts of cases against protestors from North Texas, to Spokane, Washington, to Portland, Oregon, but as we’ve seen in Los Angeles, once these cases go to court, they have been dropped for lack of evidence.”

    Members of the support committee also expressed concern for Kent’s well-being while in custody in Johnson County Jail. “We’ve seen horrific treatment of the defendants while they’ve been in custody,” said Stephanie Shiver, defendant Meagan Morris’s wife. “People have been kept in forced isolation, subject to incessant, degrading strip searches, even for those who haven’t left their cells in days, barred from communicating with family or attorneys,” continued Shiver. “Someone was even forced to clean another inmate’s feces off the walls of their cell.”

    The statement goes on to connect the continued arrest of protestors in North Texas to the pattern of family separation seen in the national wave of detentions by ICE saying, “The Prairieland defendants are not terrorists. The real terrorists are the ICE agents kidnapping people off the street, destroying families and communities.”

    Statement from the DFW Support Committee:

    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. 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 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.

  • Public Statement – August 13, 2025

    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.

  • Federal Agents Arrest Another Person in Prairieland Case, Bringing Total Number of Defendants to 18

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                             October 22, 2025
     

    Contact: DFW Support Committee

    Email: dfwsupportcommittee@hacari.com

    Website: dfwdefendants.wordpress.com

    Federal Agents Arrest Another Person in Prairieland Case, Bringing Total Number of Defendants to 18
     

    The Arrest Comes More Than Three Months After July 4 Immigrant Solidarity Protest and Less Than a Month After Felony Charges Were Brought Against Johnson County Sheriff Adam King, Who Is Directly Involved in the Prairieland Case

    DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX — In an early morning raid yesterday, federal agents arrested another person in connection with a July 4 protest at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center. More than three months after the protest, Janette Goering was arrested by federal and local police at her home in Carrollton, Texas, on Tuesday, October 21. Goering is being held at Johnson County Jail on a state charge of aiding in the commission of terrorism and has a bond set at $5 million.

    Goering’s arrest continues a trend of escalation by police and prosecutors in a case that now involves 18 defendants. The government is using exorbitant bonds of up to $15 million to imprison all but one of the defendants. “It’s unbelievable that more than three months later the state is still trying to widen the net in this case,” said a spokesperson for the DFW Support Committee, a group of family and loved ones of defendants. “They’re attempting to prosecute this as an “Antifa” case in order to terrorize the movement in solidarity with immigrants, but it’s not going to work.”

    The case has been hailed by the Trump administration as the first legal case against “Antifa.” On October 15, federal charges were formally brought against two of the Prairieland defendants, Autumn Hill and Zachary Evetts; the charges include 1 count of providing material support to terrorists, 3 counts of attempted murder of officers and employees of the United States, and 3 counts of discharging a firearm during, in relation to, and in furtherance of a crime of violence. FBI director Kash Patel called the defendants “Antifa-aligned anarchist violent extremists,” sharing Fox News coverage of the indictments on X. “This seems like a coordinated political campaign,” said Stephanie Shiver, wife of defendant Meagan Morris. “The feds didn’t do anything for months and then they bring everyone into court just days after Trump designated ‘Antifa’ a priority threat.” On September 25, the White House released the National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7), which ordered all federal law enforcement agencies to prioritize combating “Antifa” as a domestic terrorism threat.  

    The Department of Justice (DOJ) has doubled down on the political nature of the prosecution. In a lengthy federal hearing to establish probable cause to detain the defendants, the federal government raised political ideas expressed in group messages, political literature known as “zines,” and even board games found at defendants’ houses. Of significance was commercial printing equipment seized the week prior from the home of two defendants. The DOJ claimed that this equipment and the defendants’ production of left-wing reading materials, including zines and books, were evidence of their responsibility for 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.”

    On October 1, the State of Texas indicted 14 people on charges including 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 imposed an additional charge of “engaging in organized criminal activity” for all 14 defendants. A total of 15 defendants have been indicted on state charges, meaning most defendants will be forced to fight concurrent federal and state cases.

    Yesterday’s arrest comes just three weeks after criminal charges were filed against Johnson County Sheriff Adam King, whose office is working with the federal government to prosecute the Prairieland defendants. Supporters of the defendants call into question the credibility and integrity of King and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. “I’m just worried about the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office respecting defendants’ rights and following the law,” said Irina Popova, member of the DFW Support Committee. King is facing four felony charges, including aggravated perjury, corrupt influence, and abuse of official capacity, casting doubt about the veracity of the Prairieland case.

    False accusations by Johnson County law enforcement play a major role in recent developments in the case against Dario Sanchez, the sole defendant released on bond. Sanchez faces state charges of hindering prosecution of terrorism and tampering with / fabricating physical evidence.

    “I’ve been arrested and released three times, each one more ridiculous than the last,” said Sanchez. “At times I’ve felt numb or distraught, but more than anything, I’m angry at how my life has been stolen from me. I’m not about to let anyone make me shy away from who I am or what I believe in.” Sanchez was rearrested on September 22, based on a false claim by the prosecution that he violated his bond conditions. The government was forced to rescind the claim when confronted with proof to the contrary. As part of his release, Sanchez is required to submit to GPS tracking and monitoring and restriction of his electronic device usage. The charges against Sanchez simply stem from him removing someone from private group text chats. “The accusation that someone tampered with evidence for removing someone from a group chat is absurd,” said Popova. “The case against Sanchez shows how desperate the state is to criminalize these defendants.”

    “This unending criminal investigation should alarm anyone who believes in the right to protest the government,” reflects Xavier T. de Janon, Director of Mass Defense at the National Lawyers Guild (https://www.nlg.org/nlg-stands-with-anti-ice-dissent-calls-for-solidarity-with-the-prairieland-defendants/). “We cannot tolerate the dangerous criminalization of a noise demonstration against ICE.”

    The Prairieland case has garnered widespread attention and expressions of solidarity. On October 3, the DFW Support Committee called for a Day of International Solidarity. Groups of people from Seoul, South Korea, to Athens, Greece, showed support for the Prairieland defendants in the form of banner drops, letter writing campaigns, and other solidarity events.

    With the start of the federal cases, the majority of the defendants were transferred to new jails. Ines Soto, Meagan Morris, Benjamin Song, Autumn Hill, and Zachary Evetts are now held at the Federal Medical Facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Elizabeth Soto, Savanna Batten, Maricela Rueda, Joy Gibson, and Rebecca Morgan are now being held at the Wichita County Detention Center. Family members have voiced concerns about the distance and new restrictions faced by those held at the Wichita County facility. Amber Lowrey, sister of Savanna Batten, said, “We now have to drive two and a half hours just to see our sister, and it’s been really hard to make phone calls work between technical issues or some arbitrary discipline.”

    The various cases stem from a noise demonstration in solidarity with ICE detainees at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, on July 4, 2025. Toward the end of the demonstration, an officer with the Alvarado Police Department arrived and allegedly quickly became involved in an exchange of gunfire with someone else on the scene. The officer sustained minor injuries, and was released from the hospital shortly afterwards. Ten people were arrested at the scene, and a manhunt ensued in the subsequent days for another defendant. Eight more defendants were arrested in the days and weeks following the protest.

    Relevant Federal Case Numbers:

    4:25-mj-00451-BJ (Sanchez Estrada)
    4:25-mj-00452-BJ (Initial 10 arrested)
    4:25-mj-00468-BJ (Song)
    4:25-mj-00479-BP (Sharp and Thomas)
    4:25-mj-00495-BJ (Morgan)
    4:25-cr-259-P (Arnold and Evetts)

  • 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

  • Defendant Dario Sanchez’s experiences in jail and after release on bond

    Read more about Dario Sanchez here.

    At first, my incarceration was the same as everyone else’s. Isolation, in a dirty cell. After my bond was lowered and I was released, they pull a bait & switch at a hearing to add conditions to my release. They indicted me on a second charge and sent me to jail for labor day weekend.

    While I was in booking for two days, I heard a young, disabled man in an isolated cell scream and beg for his parents for hours at a time. I can still feel the thump of his body against the door and walls because it shook my cell too. When I went to make a phone call, I watched a guard spark up his taser and joke about hurting that boy. Eventually, the guards agreed to put him in our holding cell if he calmed down. I had to take the lead and comfort him, talking to him about his loved ones while trying not cry, because I knew that if I couldn’t keep him calm, they’d hurt him again. Guards would taunt and laugh at him or crack jokes, and I couldn’t bear to see it happen again. Hours later they housed me in gen-pop and I hoped he made it home.

    My third arrest was a clown-show. My local PD followed me halfway to Johnson County where I was called in for a random piss test. They boxed me in and drew guns on me, ordered me out, and cuffed me before cussing each other out because one guy didn’t properly execute their tactical twink capture.

    Later, at the jail, they got the cuffs stuck on me because the guard bought his key off of Amazon and it got stuck. Fifteen minutes later, they popped it free and put me in stripes. All of this happened because my bond officer saw me search for how to replace my Gameboy Advance SP battery, then he apparently searched up how to use that battery to make “trigger devices” and passed it off to the DA who then said I searched that up. When my lawyers showed them proof that I never did that, they had to back off immediately.

    Between now and the end of my trial I cannot look at anything anti-government or violent, not even movies or music. My phone is monitored by spyware that logs all my activity.

  • Prairieland Defendants Arraigned in Fort Worth Federal Court

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 24, 2025

    CONTACT: DFW Support Committee

    EMAIL: dfwsupportcommittee@hacari.com

    Prairieland Defendants Arraigned in Fort Worth Federal Court

    Defendants Remain in Custody on up to $10 Million Bonds for Unindicted Charges

    DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX — Defendants arrested in connection with the widely-covered July 4th protest at the Prairieland Immigration Detention Center were arraigned on Monday and Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Fort Worth. The arraignments came after nearly three months without movement by the prosecution and marks an important milestone in one of the most significant protest-related legal cases at a time of rising public dissent against Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

    Currently, 17 people are facing charges ranging from attempted murder to obstruction of justice following a protest that defendants and supporters are confident was not planned to be violent. The police allege that shots were fired by one person, injuring an officer; this single allegation has expanded to accusations the defendants were involved in a vast conspiracy. “The police are clearly using this as an opportunity to criminalize protest against ICE detentions and deportations,” said Stephanie Shiver, wife of defendant Meagan Morris. “Their narrative is ridiculous and unbelievable.”

    Supporters also found it notable that these arraignments are taking place so long after the arrests. “The defendants have been in legal limbo because the state has no case,” continued Shiver. “Nothing in this case has been handled normally and it really feels like they’re spinning a story rather than seeking justice.” Defendants have been held in the Johnson County Jail since July on state bonds of up to $10 million.

    Despite the arraignment, in a highly unusual step for such a high profile case, only one defendant has been indicted so far – Dario Sanchez on state charges. No federal indictments have been released. A number of the defendants will have preliminary hearings to establish the federal government’s right to continue detaining the defendants; these hearings are scheduled for September 30th, beginning at 9:00 am before Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton.

    The defendants arraigned on Monday were all transported to the Wichita Falls County Jail on Tuesday with no notice to family or supporters. Family members worry about the additional strain caused by such a long distance to travel for visitation.

    Dario Sanchez, who was released on bond when it was reduced to $150,000 in August, was rearrested on Monday due to what the police allege were internet searches that violated the terms of his release. The district attorney has moved that his bond be increased back to $1 million due to the nature of his charges. This move is an early example of a new Texas law that went into effect at the beginning of September allowing those charged with certain offenses to have their bonds increased at any time with little notice (https://www.keranews.org/news/2025-09-23/dario-sanchez-prairieland-ice-detention-center-shooting-rearrested).

    The case is significant in a nationwide landscape of increased protest activity against ICE and its immigration raids. Experts believes the outcome of this case should be concerning to those exercising their rights. “Millions of people across the country are joining protests against injustices happening around us,” said Xavier T. de Janon, Director of Mass Defense at the National Lawyers Guild. “If the federal government can snatch protestors for months, with no quick recourse, then we are all in danger.”

    The conditions inside Johnson County Jail are notoriously bad (https://www.keranews.org/criminal-justice/2025-09-08/woman-gives-birth-johnson-county-jail). Currently, 10 defendants are being held in solitary confinement with no official reason or justification. “Medical care and visitation with lawyers have been denied, and strip searches occur multiple times a day,” said Amber Lowrey, sister of defendant Savanna Batten. “Defendants have been trapped due to malfunctioning doors, forced to clean up other inmates’ feces, and to witness the abuse of other prisoners through neglect and dehumanization.” Johnson County and its jail have recently been subject to public scrutiny after the sheriff was arrested on charges of sexual harassment and intimidating a witness, and a prisoner was forced to give birth in her jail cell.

    “We got married in November,” said Lydia Koza, wife of defendant Autumn Hill. “We’re in our early thirties. We were expecting the next several years together to be the prime of our lives. Now we’ve been separated for nearly three months and expect this process to take several years to resolve. The phone contractor GTL has already charged me $2,000 for basic access to contact with my wife and my housemate Meagan — and that’s just me. All of that money is coming straight out of our household’s ability to survive.”

    Friends and family have formed a committee, known as the DFW Support Committee, to ensure the defendants have the best legal defense possible. They have launched a public fundraiser (https://www.givesendgo.com/supportDFWprotestors) and called for an international day of solidarity with the defendants on October 3rd (https://www.instagram.com/dfwsupportcommittee/p/DOSE1-GDn_C/).

    Recent news reporting incorrectly claimed the committee was affiliated with the Socialist Rifle Association (SRA) and made unsupported accusations that the July 4th protest was organized by the SRA, a claim that has not been made by law enforcement. A spokesperson from the committee said, “As friends and family of the defendants, we have sought to bring light to the misuse of the law in Johnson County, and the abuses suffered by the defendants during their arrest and imprisonment. We have no affiliation with any larger organizations.”

    “We are relieved that the legal process is moving forward, allowing many of the defendants to receive proper legal representation,” said Irina Popova, a member of the DFW Support Committee. “We look forward to our loved ones having their day in court. Their rights to assemble and speak are being unjustly trampled.”

    Hearing Location:

    Federal Courthouse, 5th Courtroom, 501 West 10th Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102

    Relevant Case Numbers:

    4:25-mj-00451-BJ

    4:25-mj-00452-BJ

    4:25-mj-00468-BJ

    4:25-mj-00479-BP

  • 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

  • Statement of Solidarity with Prairieland Defendants

    Below is a statement of solidarity with the Prairieland defendants, which we encourage individuals, organizations, and groups to reproduce to demonstrate their support!

    We also ask that people plan for the October 3, 2025 international day of action in solidarity with the Prairieland defendants!

    We stand in solidarity with the Prairieland Defendants as community members and pursuers of a better world. In supporting them, we do it with love for their humanity, grief for their confinement, and rage for the repression they face. On July 4, 2025, protesters gathered to make a display of noise and fireworks to express solidarity with immigrants and ICE detainees at the kidnapping facility, the Prairieland Detention Center, in Johnson County. In the early morning of July 5, 10 DFW comrades were arrested; since then, the other 7 defendants were arrested as part of a wave of terrifying raids and surveillance. The state’s narrative about what happened that night and in the nights that followed is dubious and full of inconsistencies.

    This case matters because not only are loved ones and comrades facing horrific conditions in the Johnson County Jail but their incarceration represents a growing pattern of movement repression. As ICE resistance amplifies, met with fascist government takeovers and ICE hiring incentives, solidarity with those stolen from their communities is ever more needed to nourish a culture of care rather than a culture of cruelty.

    This case will almost certainly be used to justify sweeping expansion of repression not only of popular movements but all political activity in opposition to Trump and his regime. Authoritarianism can already be felt in everything from the US arming the Gaza genocide to the building of Cop Cities all over the country. ICE Fascism rips away the foundations of communities, spreading fear, distrust, and segregation, and criminalizes dissent. Communities are being destroyed by masked fascists everyday and are in need of support and defense — just like the Prairieland Defendants and everyone deprived of social ties and comforts due to systems of incarceration and displacement.

    We stand with the DFW Support Committee as they support the Prairieland defendants, loving them through their separation from the world. We will spread the word of their struggle, help build legal defense so our comrades can see a sky without walls or chains, and promote community events and actions to rebuild community support, which state repression seeks to destroy. Through it all, side by side with our community members and loved ones on the inside, we will build a wall of resistance and resilience against the State’s efforts to dismantle our movements.

  • 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.

  • Another Person Arrested in Connection to Prairieland ICE Detention Center Protest on July 4

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 13, 2025

    CONTACT: DFW Support Committee

    EMAIL: dfwsupportcommittee@hacari.com

    Another Person Arrested in Connection to Prairieland ICE Detention Center Protest on July 4, Bringing Total Number of Arrests to 17, Prompting a Public Statement from Supporters

    People Are Being Held on Bonds of Up to $15 Million, But Most People Currently in Custody Have No Formal Charges and No Legal Representation More Than a Month After the Incident

    DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX — Another person was arrested last week in connection with the Prairieland Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center protest on July 4, 2025, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 17. Susan Kent was arrested by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office on August 7 and is currently being held on a $10 million bond at Johnson County Jail. Sixteen people arrested in connection to the Prairieland protest are being held at Johnson County Jail on bonds of up to $15 million. One defendant is being held separately at Federal Medical Center, Fort Worth. Kent is being accused of engaging in organized criminal activity and hindering the prosecution of terrorism, but the state has released no information regarding the arrest and the probable cause documents have not been made public.

    Most people currently in custody have no formal charges and have no legal representation more than a month after the incident. No progress has occurred in any of the cases, and no hearings or legal proceedings are currently scheduled.

    The July 4 demonstrations outside of the ICE Detention Center were a typical immigrant solidarity protest that has since turned into a massive federal investigation. During the planned “noise” demonstration at the facility, ICE agents called the local police. When an officer from the Alvarado Police Department arrived, an altercation occurred, after which the officer claimed to have sustained a minor injury. Police arrested 10 people near the scene, including some blocks away, on the basis that they were dressed alike, and seven more were arrested in subsequent weeks. During that time, local and federal agents have terrorized friends and family members of those arrested at the protest, serving no-knock warrants, conducting house raids, making arrests at traffic stops, and engaging in widespread surveillance. Multiple people arrested were not even at the protest.

    The DFW support committee, a group of family and friends of defendants in this case, released a statement today, repudiating the arrest of Kent, one of its members, and connecting it to a wider pattern of state repression against anti-ICE protestors.

    “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,” says the statement. It goes on to say, “We are devastated at Susan’s arrest, but we are not deterred. We call on those who support resistance and seek a freer world to stand up against this brutality and repression.”

    To read the entire statement released today by the DFW Support Committee, go to: https://www.dfwdefendants.wordpress.com/2025/08/13/public-statement-august-13-2025/

    The expansion of this case was also alarming to experts on political repression. Meagan Knuth from the National Lawyers Guild said, “We’re seeing a rise in these sorts of cases against protestors from North Texas, to Spokane, Washington, to Portland, Oregon, but as we’ve seen in Los Angeles, once these cases go to court, they have been dropped for lack of evidence.”

    Members of the support committee also expressed concern for Kent’s well-being while in custody in Johnson County Jail. “We’ve seen horrific treatment of the defendants while they’ve been in custody,” said Stephanie Shiver, defendant Meagan Morris’s wife. “People have been kept in forced isolation, subject to incessant, degrading strip searches, even for those who haven’t left their cells in days, barred from communicating with family or attorneys,” continued Shiver. “Someone was even forced to clean another inmate’s feces off the walls of their cell.”

    The statement goes on to connect the continued arrest of protestors in North Texas to the pattern of family separation seen in the national wave of detentions by ICE saying, “The Prairieland defendants are not terrorists. The real terrorists are the ICE agents kidnapping people off the street, destroying families and communities.”

    Statement from the DFW Support Committee:

    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. 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 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.

  • Public Statement – August 13, 2025

    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.