Overview
- A federal court in Texas on Tuesday handed eight demonstrators combined prison terms of 450 years for their roles in a July 4, 2025 protest at an ICE facility, including a 100-year sentence for Benjamin S. after a jury convicted him of attempted murder for shooting a federal officer.
- Several defendants received sentences of 30 to 70 years after being found guilty of offenses that included providing material support to terrorists and using fireworks during the protest.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche described the rulings as proof that those the Justice Department calls 'Antifa terrorists' will face swift justice, while defense lawyers say the defendants were young protesters, not terrorists.
- Federal prosecutors are treating the Texas verdict as a template and have brought charges against 15 more people in a related Minneapolis investigation, and additional sentencing for other Texas defendants is scheduled for July 1, 2026.
- The case sharpens a political divide: President Trump publicly designated 'Antifa' a domestic terror threat last year, critics accuse the Justice Department of politicized prosecutions, and legal teams have vowed appeals.