Former Marine gets 100 years in prison as judge calls ICE detention center ambush 'an assault on democracy'

Eight protesters accused by the Justice Department of having ties to the far-left network Antifa were sentenced to decades in federal prison on Tuesday for their roles in a violent July 4, 2025, ambush outside a North Texas immigration detention center.

Benjamin Song, a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist who was previously convicted of attempted murder for shooting Alvarado Police Lt. Thomas Gross, received the maximum sentence of 100 years behind bars, according to a report from The Associated Press.

Seven other defendants received prison terms ranging from 30 to 70 years, including Autumn Hill and Savanna Batten, who were each sentenced to 50 years, according to the report.

During the sentencing, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor described the incident not as a protest, but as “an assault on democracy.”

Supporters of protesters convicted over a shooting outside a Texas immigration detention center display signs in support of the defendants outside a federal courthouse in Fort Worth, Texas on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Kendria LaFleur)

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Prosecutor Frank Gatto urged the judge to impose stiff penalties, saying the defendants hold extremist beliefs and “believe violence is justified.”

The lengthy sentences follow a federal jury trial in Fort Worth where the defendants, described by the DOJ as members of a North Texas Antifa cell, were convicted of providing material support to terrorists, rioting and conspiring to use and carry explosives, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Authorities said the ambush at the Prairieland ICE detention center involved fireworks, gunfire directed at officers, and damage to vehicles and buildings.

FILE – Law enforcement officers gather outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, after an ambush on July 4, 2025. Authorities said a group created a distraction with fireworks and graffiti before opening fire on corrections and police officers outside the facility. (Mark David Smith/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

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Despite the convictions, the defendants and their families have denied any affiliation with Antifa, maintaining that they were demonstrating in support of detained immigrants, The AP reported.

Song’s attorney, Phillip Hayes, argued his client only provided “suppressive fire” and that the police officer was struck by a ricocheted bullet after “aggressively” drawing his gun. 

FILE – Numerous suspects in the ambush attack on the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas stand in front of a photo from the crime scene. (Johnson County Sheriff’s Office)

“Song, aside from this day, has had an impeccable life. A former Marine. A good student,” Hayes said, noting Song’s intent to appeal. “He had a lot of good qualities that were just ignored. The judge went ahead and gave as much as he could.”

The case and subsequent convictions have been a focus for the Trump administration, which has prioritized cracking down on far-left militant groups. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.

Supporters of protesters convicted over a shooting outside a Texas immigration detention center display signs in support of the defendants outside a federal courthouse in Fort Worth, Texas on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Kendria LaFleur)

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Following the initial guilty verdicts, Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the administration will “systematically dismantle Antifa,” while FBI official Kash Patel highlighted the bureau’s 24/7 commitment to hunting down and dismantling Antifa networks that attack federal law enforcement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.