{"id":3014,"date":"2026-06-23T20:36:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T20:36:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3014"},"modified":"2026-06-23T20:36:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T20:36:22","slug":"8-convicted-in-texas-immigration-center-shooting-and-protest-are-sentenced-to-decades-in-prison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3014","title":{"rendered":"8 convicted in Texas immigration center shooting and protest are sentenced to decades in prison"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) \u2014 Eight protesters accused by the Justice Department of having ties to antifa were sentenced Tuesday to decades in federal prison over a shooting outside a Texas immigration detention center that wounded a police officer and prosecutors called an act of terrorism.<\/p>\n

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One of the defendants, a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist convicted of opening fire during the July 4 demonstration outside the Prairieland Detention Center near Dallas, was sentenced to 100 years in prison, the maximum punishment.<\/p>\n

The lengthy sentences were condemned by family members and supporters in a news conference outside the federal courthouse in Fort Worth. Hope Song, whose son Benjamin Song received the heftiest sentence, disputed prosecutors’ claims that her son shot the officer and said he didn’t intend to hurt anyone.<\/p>\n

U.S. District Judge Reed O\u2019Connor, one of two judges overseeing the proceedings, said what happened wasn\u2019t a protest but \u201can assault on democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe need to deter this type of conduct is high,\u201d O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n

The seven other protesters received prison terms ranging from 30 to 70 years.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors said the eight are members of antifa, a decentralized anti-fascist organization and a target of the Trump administration. Antifa is not a single organization but rather an umbrella term for far-left militant groups that confront or resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations.<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump last fall signed an executive order designating antifa a domestic terrorist organization, even though there is no domestic equivalent to the State Department\u2019s list of foreign terror organizations.<\/p>\n

The defendants deny any affiliation with antifa and maintain they attended the demonstration in support of detained immigrants.<\/p>\n

Prosecutor Frank Gatto urged the judge to impose stiff penalties.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople with that kind of extremist beliefs need extra time in prison,\u201d Gatto said. \u201cThey believe violence is justified.\u201d<\/p>\n

Phillip Hayes, Song\u2019s attorney, said outside the courthouse that he takes issue with the idea that the protesters are extremists.<\/p>\n

“This is a bunch of kids and young adults who really have a really big heart and really wanted their voice to be heard,\u201d Hayes said. \u201cIt was never intended that anybody get hurt. It was never intended that any shots would be fired.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Prosecutors said in court that Song had yelled \u201cget to the rifles\u201d and opened fire, striking a police officer who had just pulled up to the center.<\/p>\n

Hayes argued that Song\u2019s shots were \u201csuppressive fire\u201d and that a ricochet bullet hit the officer after he arrived on the scene and \u201caggressively\u201d pulled out his firearm. He said his client will appeal the 100-year sentence.<\/p>\n

\u201cSong, aside from this day, has had an impeccable life. A former Marine. A good student,\u201d Hayes said. \u201cHe had a lot of good qualities that were just ignored. The judge went ahead and gave as much as he could.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other defendants and their family members pleaded for leniency in court.<\/p>\n

Autumn Hill said the gathering \u201cseemed more like a party to me than anything else” and that she and others who participated “didn\u2019t expect or want any violence or destruction of property to occur.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amber Lowrey told the judge that her sister, Savanna Batten, is a compassionate person with dreams of opening a bakery. She said Batten’s activism started with animal rights and evolved into anti-war and human rights advocacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s the best person I know,\u201d Lowrey said.<\/p>\n

Hill and Batten both received 50-year sentences.<\/p>\n

Other defendants previously pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists rather than take their case to trial.<\/p>\n

Critics warn the case could have wide-reaching impact on protests given that organizations operating within the U.S. are supposed to be protected by First Amendment free-speech rights.<\/p>\n

Last week, federal prosecutors charged 15 people with impeding the Trump administration\u2019s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. They claimed the demonstrators were members of antifa who conspired against the federal government to block arrests and deportations by setting up blockades around government buildings and throwing chunks of ice at federal vehicles, among other actions.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Marcelo reported from New York. Associated Press journalist Kendria LaFleur contributed.<\/p>\n

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FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) \u2014 Eight protesters accused by the Justice Department of having ties to antifa were sentenced Tuesday to decades in federal prison over a shooting outside a Texas immigration detention center that wounded a police officer and prosecutors called an act of terrorism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n8 convicted in Texas immigration center shooting and protest are sentenced to decades in prison - South Florida Moving Guides<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=3014\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"8 convicted in Texas immigration center shooting and protest are sentenced to decades in prison - 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