Eight people handed a combined sentence of 450 years in prison over anti-ICE riot

Eight people handed a combined sentence of 450 years in prison over anti-ICE riot A former US Marine was among eight people handed lengthy prison sentences totalling 450 years after a protest outside a Texas immigration detention centre turned violent Eight people have been jailed for a combined 450 years after violence erupted outside a Texas immigration detention centre. Prosecutors accused the group of having links to Antifa, with a former US Marine handed the longest sentence of 100 years in prison. The group was convicted over unrest outside the Prairieland detention facility, south of Dallas, on 4 July last year. According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), operatives linked to the North Texas Antifa Cell set off and threw fireworks at the site, vandalised vehicles and damaged a guard kiosk during the Independence Day disturbance. Antifa has long been a target of Donald Trump. In 2025, he signed an executive order designating the anti-fascist movement a “domestic terrorist organisation”. Critics of the designation argued that Antifa is an ideology rather than an organised group with a formal leadership structure or membership, and that subscribing to a specific ideology is not a crime. He accused the group of recruiting, training and radicalising young Americans to engage in political violence and has said federal law enforcement will be "very threatening" in going after the movement. The eight defendants considered to be of the antifa group were convicted of offences including rioting, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists and obstruction. Benjamin Hanil Song, who prosecutors described as the group’s leader, received the longest sentence after being convicted of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. According to the justice department, he had faced a minimum penalty of 20 years. In a written statement on Tuesday, Song said he fired his gun because he believed a police officer was preparing to shoot a protester, according to multiple media outlets and an advocacy group for the defendants. His mother, Hope Song, disputed claims that he shot the officer and said he did not intend to hurt anyone, according to the Associated Press. Maricela Rueda was sentenced to 70 years in prison, while Cameron Arnold, also known as Autumn Hill, Savanna Batten, Zachary Evetts, Bradford Morris, also known as Meagan Morris, and Elizabeth Soto were each jailed for 50 years. Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada received a 30-year prison sentence. US Judge Amos Mazzant described the group’s actions as “an assault on democracy”, while relatives of the defendants condemned the length of the prison terms. “The sentences handed down today make clear that Antifa terrorists who attack law enforcement and federal facilities will face swift and uncompromising justice,” Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement, condemning violent extremism. The DOJ said on Tuesday that the North Texas Antifa Cell formed part of a network of individuals and small groups that subscribed to an ideology calling for the overthrow of the US government, law enforcement and the system of law. Supporters of the defendants argued the punishments were unduly harsh. Some people who attended the protest said they believed the gathering had been intended as a “noise demonstration” and was not supposed to involve violence. The defendants denied any affiliation with Antifa and said they attended the demonstration to support detained immigrants. A ninth defendant, Ines Soto, will be sentenced on 1 July. Seven others involved in the incident previously pleaded guilty to one count of providing material support to terrorists and will also be sentenced on the same date.