Why We Have to Fight Back Against ICE Protesters’ Terror Convictions

A jury in Fort Worth, Texas convicted eight anti-ICE protesters on terrorism charges for attending a late-night demonstration at an immigration detention facility in July, where some illegal activity occurred and a police officer was shot. The convictions mark the first successful use of federal terrorism charges against antifascist protest activity and the first time the Trump administration's "collective guilt" prosecution strategy won in court, despite the defendants themselves not being accused of firing weapons. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated the verdict "will not be the last" as the administration "systematically dismantles Antifa," signaling plans to pursue similar cases against left-wing activists. The defense attorneys and supporters argue the terrorism convictions were unconstitutional, obtained under a Trump-appointed judge who declared a mistrial over jury bias concerns and ran the second jury selection himself—a highly unusual procedure—and they plan to challenge the convictions on appeal.