Jury Convicts Eight of Terrorism in ICE Protest

A federal jury in Fort Worth, Texas, convicted eight protesters of domestic terrorism charges on Friday in connection with a July 4, 2025, demonstration outside the Prairieland ICE Detention Facility in Alvarado that turned violent, marking the first such convictions linked to individuals associated with antifascism in the United States.

The nighttime protest involved about a dozen participants who gathered to show solidarity with roughly 1,000 migrants detained inside the facility. They set off fireworks as part of a noise demonstration, a tactic commonly used at such events to draw attention without direct confrontation. Some protesters wore dark clothing, and at least 11 firearms were recovered at the scene, many stored in vehicles or backpacks, consistent with Texas open-carry laws. According to court records, two or three individuals separated from the group and vandalized property in the parking lot, including spray-painting vehicles and a guard shack, slashing tires on a government van, and damaging a security camera.

Corrections officers called police about 15 minutes after the demonstration began. Local police Lieutenant Thomas Gross arrived shortly after and drew his...