As the federal government’s repression of dissent expands, the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) is increasingly alarmed at the situation evolving in Johnston County, Texas, in relation to the Prairieland Defendants’ July 4 anti-ICE noise demonstration.
On October 15, the U.S. Attorney General’s Office indicted Daniel “Des” Sanchez, a local Dallas artist, for transporting “a box that contained numerous Antifa materials.” Des was not even close to the noise demonstration but rather was arrested two days later after getting a call for familial support from his incarcerated wife, a Prairieland Defendant. Des’s indictment should shock us all, as all that is alleged is the movement of a box of political “documents and propaganda” from one place to another. As seen in the case’s criminal complaint, the materials appear to be nothing but zines and pamphlets:
The stakes are even higher for Des, because he is a Legal Permanent Resident (Green Card holder). The federal government is exploiting this fact, as shown by ICE’s release of Des’s immigration status, photograph, and personal information in its social media accounts. Tellingly, the government prioritized indicting Des, just as it has carried targeted removals of immigrants standing up for a Free Palestine. Yet ICE’s social media also shows that what Des allegedly moved was nothing but a box of political papers, apparently criminalized for its contents:
We do not take these developments lightly. The Trump administration is signaling that if you possess political writings in your home or vehicle—such as a “No Kings” anti-Trump poster or a pamphlet critical of capitalism and demanding its end—there is a chance you could get thrown in federal prison and placed in removal proceedings. Similarly, if you attempt to provide care for someone incarcerated and prosecuted for protesting the government, you could be criminalized in an outrageous conspiracy accusation, as is happening with Des. This is all taking place against the backdrop of the ongoing “Antifa Scare,” which paints those who oppose fascism as the problem, instead of fascism itself.
NLG is alarmed that if you publicly oppose this federal government, its appointed prosecutors seemingly do not believe you have the right of press, speech, or association. We must keep supporting those who the government tries to make examples out of, recognize our risks, and fight back, while safeguarding our movements against repression.
NLG calls for the immediate release of Des and the Prairieland Defendants.
We invite immigrant justice advocates to stand in solidarity with Des and all those facing political repression because of their immigration status.
Support Des: https://www.instagram.com/free.des.revol/
