“This isn’t a bunch of terrorists”
450 years in prison for anti-ICE protesters
Updated June 24, 2026 – 4:57 amReading time: 2 minutes
After riots outside a deportation center in Texas, eight convicts are on trial. The prosecution sees them as terrorists.
A US state court Texas sentenced eight protesters to prison sentences totaling 450 years. The defendants protested in front of an ICE immigration deportation center near Dallas on July 4, 2025. The US Department of Justice announced that these were the first verdicts since President Donald Trump which classified “Antifa” (short for “anti-fascist”) as a terrorist organization.
Benjamin S. received the highest individual sentence: as the leader of the group, the court sentenced him to 100 years in prison. The jury found him guilty of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. The jury was convinced that S. had shot the man in the neck; the federal employee survived. The remaining seven convicts received sentences of between 30 and 70 years. They set off fireworks in front of the ICE facility on the national holiday and were also found guilty of “providing material assistance to terrorists.”
The prosecution spoke of Antifa members
The prosecution accused the defendants, whom they described as “Antifa” members, of a “terrorist attack” on the facility. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, formerly Trump’s personal lawyer, said: “Today’s sentences show that Antifa terrorists who attack security forces and federal buildings will face swift and relentless justice.”
The main defendant’s lawyer, Philip Hayes, contradicted this account. According to PBS, Hayes said: “This is not a bunch of terrorists. This is a group of children and young adults who really have big hearts and whose voices really should be heard.” The demonstrators never intended to hurt anyone.
Antifa is a left-wing ideology
According to experts, the term “Antifa” is more of a left-wing ideology than a fixed group. Trump had “Antifa” classified as a terrorist organization last year and accused it of being responsible for the death of the podcaster and right-wing activist Charlie Kirk on September 10th, who was a friend of his.
The procedure in Texas is considered a model case. After protests against deportation raids in Minneapolis, the US federal judiciary charged 15 more people with connections to Antifa. Two US citizens were killed by law enforcement officers during protests in Minneapolis at the beginning of the year. Trump came under pressure as a result and fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at the beginning of March. Sentencing for eight other defendants in Texas is expected on July 1.
