Eight immigration protesters alleged to have ties to Antifa sentenced to decades in federal prison

Eight protesters whom the Justice Department accuses of having ties to Antifa were sentenced Tuesday to decades in federal prison in connection to a shooting last year outside a federal immigration detention center in Texas.

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, who was one of two judges overseeing the trial, said the demonstration wasn't a protest but “an assault on democracy.” He said the need to deter the type of behavior seen at the protest is high. 

One of the eight protesters, Benjamin Song, who was a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist, was convicted of firing a gun during the July 4, 2025, demonstration and wounding a police officer. He was sentenced to 100 years in prison, according to the Associated Press. 

Another defendant, Daniel Sanchez Estrada, was convicted of corruptly concealing a document and conspiracy to conceal documents. Others pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists rather than take their case to trial, the wire service also reports. The other defendants received prison terms of 30 to 70 years.