Defendants arrested in connection with the widely-covered July 4th protest at the Prairieland Immigration Detention Center will be arraigned on Monday and Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Fort Worth. The arraignments come after nearly three months without movement by the prosecution and marks an important milestone in one of the most significant protest-related legal cases at a time of rising public dissent against Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
What: Arraignments for Prairieland ICE Detention Center protestors
When: Monday, September 22 at 11am and Tuesday, September 23 at 11am
Where: Federal Courthouse, 501 West 10th Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Currently, 17 people are facing charges ranging from attempted murder to obstruction of justice following a protest that defendants and supporters are confident was not planned to be violent. The police allege that shots were fired by one person, injuring an officer; this single allegation has expanded to accusations the defendants were involved in a vast conspiracy. “The police are clearly using this as an opportunity to criminalize protest against ICE detentions and deportations,” said Stephanie Shiver, wife of defendant Meagan Morris. “Their narrative is ridiculous and unbelievable.”
Supporters also found it notable that these arraignments are taking place so long after the arrests. “The defendants have been in legal limbo because the state has no case,” continued Shiver. “Nothing in this case has been handled normally, and it really feels like they’re spinning a story rather than seeking justice.” Defendants have been held in the Johnson County Jail since July on state bonds of up to $10 million.
The case is significant in a nationwide landscape of increased protest activity against ICE and its immigration raids. Experts believes the outcome of this case should be concerning to those exercising their rights. “Millions of people across the country are joining protests against injustices happening around us,” said Xavier T. de Janon, Director of Mass Defense at the National Lawyers Guild. “If the federal government can snatch protestors for months, with no quick recourse, then we are all in danger.”
The conditions inside Johnson County Jail are notoriously bad (https://www.keranews.org/criminal-justice/2025-09-08/woman-gives-birth-johnson-county-jail). Currently, defendants are being held in solitary confinement with no official reason or justification.
“Medical care and visitation with lawyers have been denied, and strip searches occur multiple times a day,” said Amber Lowrey, sister of defendant Savanna Batten. “Defendants have been trapped due to malfunctioning doors, forced to clean up other inmates’ feces, and to witness the abuse of other prisoners through neglect and dehumanization.” Johnson County and its jail have recently been subject to public scrutiny after the sheriff was arrested on charges of sexual harassment and intimidating a witness, and a prisoner was forced to give birth in her jail cell.
“We got married in November,” said Lydia Koza, wife of defendant Autumn Hill. “We’re in our early thirties. We were expecting the next several years together to be the prime of our lives. Now we’ve been separated for nearly three months and expect this process to take several years to resolve. The phone contractor GTL has already charged me $2,000 for basic access to contact with my wife and my housemate Meagan — and that’s just me. All of that money is coming straight out of our household’s ability to survive.”
Friends and family have formed a committee, known as the DFW Support Committee, to ensure the defendants have the best legal defense possible. They have launched a public fundraiser and called for an international day of solidarity with the defendants on October 3rd (https://www.instagram.com/dfwsupportcommittee/p/DOSE1-GDn_C/).
Recent news reporting incorrectly claimed the committee was affiliated with the Socialist Rifle Association (SRA) and made unsupported accusations that the July 4th protest was organized by the SRA, a claim that has not been made by law enforcement. A spokesperson from the committee said, “As friends and family of the defendants, we have sought to bring light to the misuse of the law in Johnson County, and the abuses suffered by the defendants during their arrest and imprisonment. We have no affiliation with any larger organizations.”
“We are relieved that the legal process is moving forward, allowing many of the defendants to receive proper legal representation,” said Irina Popova, a member of the DFW Support Committee. “We look forward to our loved ones having their day in court. Their rights to assemble and speak are being unjustly trampled.”
Hearing Location:
Federal Courthouse, 5th Courtroom, 501 West 10th Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Relevant Case Numbers:
4:25-mj-00451
4:25-mj-00452
4:25-mj-00468
4:25-mj-00479
source: DFW