Prosecuting "Antifa": The Prairieland Case and Its Implications for Organizers

About this episode

Koki interviews Steven Gardner about the implications of the Prairieland case verdicts on protestors and resistance organizing.

In this episode, Koki sits down with PRA Principal research advisor, Steven Gardner, to discuss the recent March 2026 verdicts in the Prairieland case from North Texas when 9 protestors were found guilty of a variety of charges ranging from providing material support to terrorists, conspiracy to use and carry an explosive, to concealing a document or record and discharging a firearm. The charges stem from an investigation following a noise demonstration and confrontation with local law enforcement outside a North Texas ICE detention center on July 4, 2025. In court, the case hinged on accusations that these defendants belonged to an Antifa cell and thus engaged in domestic terrorism, premised on the 2025 Executive Order “Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terrorism Organization.” Steven and Koki discuss the details of the case and trial, other instances of legal persecution of anti-ICE protestors, what these cases tell us about the Trump administration’s authoritarian project and implications for ongoing resistance organizing with concrete advice from Steven on how to mitigate risk without demobilizing. Steven Gardiner is the Principal Research Advisor and former Research Director…

People in this episode

Host: Koki

Guest: Steven Gardner

Topics covered

• legal persecution
• protest
• domestic terrorism
• Antifa
• authoritarianism
• resistance organizing

Keywords

• Prairieland case
• Antifa
• domestic terrorism
• legal charges
• protest rights
• Trump administration
• risk mitigation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Political Research Associates

Books & works: 2025 Executive Order “Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terrorism Organization”

Places: North Texas, ICE

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