DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX — Nine defendants in the Prairieland ICE Detention Center protest case pleaded ‘not guilty’ today to federal charges, including riot, discharging a firearm, attempted murder, providing material support to terrorists, and conspiracy to conceal documents. A federal superseding indictment was filed in the Prairieland case on November 13 by Acting US Attorney Nancy Larson, just four days before Trump appointed former federal prosecutor Ryan Raybould as US Attorney on November 17.
Savanna Batten, Zachary Evetts, Autumn Hill, Meagan Morris, Maricela Rueda, Daniel “Des” Rolando Sanchez Estrada, Benjamin Song, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto pleaded ‘not guilty’ at their federal arraignments on December 3. All nine defendants are fighting their charges by taking their cases to trial. Federal jury trials are scheduled to begin January 5, 2026, in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Fort Worth.
“The superseding indictment makes unproven claims, mischaracterizes facts, and takes quotes out of context,” said Stephanie Shiver, wife of defendant Meagan Morris. “Claims of adherence to a political ideology like anti-fascism, whether true or not, are not grounds to charge someone with terrorism and do not belong in an indictment,” continued Shiver. “By associating the Prairieland case with Antifa, the government is using terrorism charges to spread fear and intimidation, and to carry out sweeping political repression.”
Prejudicial statements related to these cases have been made repeatedly by officials at the highest levels of government, undermining the defendants’ ability to get a fair trial. The Trump administration has publicly claimed that the Prairieland case is the first legal case against Antifa, while Trump declared Antifa a domestic terrorist organization. On September 25, the White House released the National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7), which ordered all federal law enforcement agencies to prioritize combating Antifa as a domestic terrorism threat. FBI director Kash Patel has called the Prairieland defendants “Antifa-aligned anarchist violent extremists,” sharing Fox News coverage of the case on X.
Yet, supporters are refuting the claims of terrorism and planned violence. “As the Prairieland case progresses, it looks more and more like a protest case involving people expressing solidarity with detained immigrants,” said Amber Lowrey, sister of defendant Savanna Batten. “The federal government is trying to reframe protest activity as terrorism, and we’re seeing this attempted across the country, from Chicago to Portland, and now here in Dallas-Fort Worth.”
The recent arraignments and not guilty pleas come as the District Court of Johnson County is set to hear a motion to quash the State indictment against Dario Sanchez on January 8. Fifteen people were indicted on State charges in the Prairieland case and nine people were indicted on federal charges, forcing many defendants to concurrently fight their State and federal charges. Seven defendants pleaded guilty to federal charges last month and are awaiting sentencing in March.
Exorbitant bonds of up to $15 million are being used in the State cases to imprison people who do not represent a flight risk or a danger to the community. Supporters believe that pretrial detention is being used by the government to hinder the defense and to maintain the dominant narrative in the media.
The Prairieland case stems from a noise demonstration in solidarity with detainees at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, on July 4, 2025. Toward the end of the demonstration, an officer with the Alvarado Police Department arrived and allegedly quickly became involved in an exchange of gunfire with someone else on the scene. The officer sustained minor injuries and was released from the hospital shortly afterwards. Ten people were arrested at the scene or shortly after, and a manhunt ensued in the subsequent days for another defendant. Eight more defendants were arrested in the days and weeks following the protest.
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For more information on the Prairieland cases and the DFW Support Committee:
dfwdefendants.wordpress.com