8 convicted in Texas immigration center shooting and protest are sentenced to decades in prison

Eight individuals have been sentenced to decades in federal prison following their convictions related to a shooting and protest at a Texas immigration detention center on July 4, 2025. The incident, which prosecutors described as an act of terrorism, resulted in a police officer being wounded during a demonstration outside the Prairieland Detention Center near Dallas.

Former U.S. Marine reservist Benjamin Song, who was convicted of attempted murder for firing a weapon during the event, received the maximum sentence of 100 years in prison. The other seven defendants were handed sentences ranging from 30 to 70 years. Prosecutors alleged the convicted individuals had ties to the leftist militant group antifa, a claim denied by defense attorneys and family members who expressed shock over the lengthy sentences.

U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor characterized the events not as a protest, but as an "assault on democracy," emphasizing the need to deter such conduct. The case has drawn significant attention, with critics raising concerns about its potential implications for protest and First Amendment free-speech rights.