In September 2025, President Donald Trump signed the National Security Presidential Memorandum 7, a classified document that directs powerful federal agencies to counter “Domestic Terrorism,”, a loosely defined term with no specific federal criminal charge. Still, the Trump Administration has taken steps to use it as a pretext for targeting and punishing people and organizations who are standing for marginalized communities.
This summer, nine protesters were convicted on terrorism charges with sentences ranging from 30 to 70 years for a noise demonstration occurring on July 4th, 2025, outside the Prairieland ICE facility in Texas that resulted in the shooting of a federal officer.
The charges include a 50-year sentence for protester Autumn Hill, who said she left before the officer was injured, and a 30-year sentence for Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada, who was not even present at the site of the shooting and was convicted of conspiracy to conceal documents for moving a box of magazines and pamphlets of “Anti-fascist literature.” Benjamin Song, the shooter, also received 100 years in prison.
Credits:
- Reported and Produced by Ryan Johnson
- Filmed by Vanessa Donovan
- Edited by Evan Stice
Transcript
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This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by Ryan Johnson.