The Prairieland Nine

Who are the Prairieland Nine? 

They’re a group of nine ICE protesters who were busted at a demonstration on July 4, 2025, outside the ICE Prairieland “Detention Center” in Alvarado, Texas. The demonstrators arrived late at night with a plan to set off fireworks as part of a noise demonstration to show solidarity with those detained inside. A few of the demonstrators went off-script and stupid crazy. Good chance things would have gone wild anyway, given the Texas cops and ICE agents and all.

Governor Abbottoir has since, unsurprisingly, sacrificed the protesters and their constitutional rights on his altar to Trump. Nine of the protesters have been given ridiculous, over the top, theatrical, showpiece sentences.

 Benjamin Song: was sentenced to 100 years
Maricela Rueda: was sentenced to 70 years
Autumn Hill: was sentenced to 50 years
Savanna Batten: was sentenced to 50 years
Zachary Evetts: was sentenced to 50 years
Meagan Morris: was sentenced to 50 years
Elizabeth Soto: was sentenced to 50 years
Ines Soto: was sentenced to 50 years
Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada: was sentenced to 30 years for “conspiracy” and “concealing” left-wing zines. He was not even being at the damn protest!

50 goddamn years is more than double what former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers Founder Stewart Rhodes were sentenced to for their Trump endorsed January 6 insurrection on the Capital. FYI, nine people died directly because of Trump’s treason riot. No one died in or because of Alvarado.

Benjamin Song, who fired the gun at the police officer, was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Song was convicted of attempted murder of an officer of the United States, as well as firearm and explosives charges.
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In a statement, Song said he had fired at the police officer, Lt Thomas Gross, because Gross had his weapon drawn and Song believed he was about to shoot a protester. Gross admitted during trial his weapon was pointed at the back of a person who was fleeing the parking lot.  (source) 

The officer was injured, sent to the hospital, was treated and released a couple hours later.

These sentences are absolute insanity! It’s what I’d expect from a totalitarian dictatorship like North Korea or Russia. I realize this is what micro dicked weasels like Trump and Abbott want though. What these fools don’t seem to understand is that with every obscenely gross authoritarian edict and horror show cruelty they roll out they announce, big and broad, their vast, desperate insecurity – their soft spot. 

Also too:

All defendants who were present at Prairieland the night of July 4, including guilty plea defendants Nathan Baumann and Seth Sikes, will have to “jointly and separately” pay $4,408.95 to the Prairieland Detention Center. (source) 

‘the fuck does that mean – “jointly and separately?” Does that mean that each have to pony up $4,408.95 or they collectively need to come up with that amount. And this is ON TOP of being imprisoned for 30-100 fucking years. How they gonna come up with that kind of dosh if they’re in the joint, hmmmmm?

And this money is for the detention center? Why? Is the poor “detention center” sad? Are the for-profit concentration camp corporations not seeing enough of a filthy windfall from their sadistically minimal investments?  

From Benjamin Song's post-sentencing statement: 

It was the kind of thing I had feared for a long time, after dealing with officers who could be reckless, who could be bullies, who could be violent. But fear is not hate. Sadness is not hate. Wanting people to live is not hate.

So, when I was standing in the street on July 4th, 2025, in plain view with reflective safety strips and high visibility clothing, what I saw right in front of my eyes was my worst nightmare.

When I saw Lieutenant Thomas Gross stop pursuing and point his gun at the back of a running, unarmed protester, like he testified, I was terrified. As a firearms instructor and a United States Marine Corps veteran, I understood what I was seeing. I knew what it meant for someone to lean forward into a gun, like he testified, to prepare for recoil.

As the evidence shows, I did not want to hurt anyone. I never had the intent to hurt anyone. I tried my best to avoid hurting anyone. It is impossible to say that I was trying to ambush anyone or planning any violence. I was shocked, and surprised, and saddened. I am so grateful for what didn’t happen. I am so grateful that we are not here mourning another death and tragedy. Another Alex Pretti. Another Renee Good. Another Botham Jean. Another Manuel Teran. Another Atatiana Jefferson. Another Philando Castile.

Now, 22 people have been arrested, have been persecuted, have been tortured, for what?

For nothing.

None of these people really did anything.

And none of these people have anything to do with what happened with me.

This is wrong. This is mass punishment. This is collective punishment. This is guilt by association. This is injustice.

Song is a hero. He prevented that cop from shooting an unarmed protester, who was fleeing, IN THE BACK! Song stopped a murder. Thomas Gross would have joined the ranks of Jonathan Ross, Jesus Ochoa, Raymundo Gutierrez, David Brouillette, and more. Those dudes will never, ever live down the fact that they murdered innocents. Old Tommy boy wanted to murder that innocent protester. Song stopped Gross without killing him OR causing more than a minor inconvenience of a wound.

Where are the Prairieland Nine now? In prison, waiting on appeals.