On April 4, 2026, members of Lansing General Defense Committee, along with Lansing Migra Watch, and Your Mom Mutual Aid held a rally in solidarity with the Prairieland 9 defendants as part of their International Day of Action. Around 20 comrades stuck it out in the rain chanting, giving speeches, and distributing food and information on the south side of Lansing.
The Prairieland 9 defendants were arrested in relation to a Fourth of July Noise Demo at the Prairieland Immigration Detention Facility — which is one of hundreds of concentration camps built around the US in its war on immigrant workers and their families. During this demonstration participants played music and chanted and lit fireworks (not unusual on the Fourth of July) to let folks detained inside know they are not forgotten.
Toward the end of the demonstration a police officer pulled a weapon on protestors and one of the demonstrators fired a weapon at the ground. The prosecution alleges that the officer was shot, but evidence has been inconsistent. Nineteen people were arrested in the aftermath including many who were not present at the protest. They were held in abusive conditions and not allowed contact to lawyers or family members. In the course of this detainment, several people agreed to cooperate with the prosecution under duress, and accepted cooperating plea deals to get lesser sentences.
The Prairieland 9 were convicted on a series a very serious felony charges in a highly politicized trial. It has been a blatant form of repression against the growing movement that has challenged Trump’s accelerating fascist assault on immigrants, and anyone who stands up to defend their communities. The trial was riddled with irregularities and has been used as a test case for prosecuting “antifa” as terrorists.
“On March 13, nine Prairieland defendants—Savanna Batten, Zachary Evetts, Autumn Hill, Meagan Morris, Maricela Rueda, Daniel ‘Des’ Rolando Sanchez Estrada, Benjamin ‘Champagne’ Song, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto — were convicted of numerous federal charges, including riot, material support for terrorism, possession and conspiracy to use explosives, and conspiracy to conceal documents. Song was found guilty of attempted murder for allegedly shooting an Alvarado police officer. “
Regardless what happened on the ground that night we must support our comrades who stood up to resist accelerating fascism. While they appeal these ridiculous sentences we must support them and let them know they are not forgotten. We must carry on the struggle.
We know that the state is increasing attacks on all of us. In Minneapolis during resistance to ICE – Alex Pretti and Renee Good were both shot and murdered by ICE/CBP for participating in the mass movement against anti-immigrant attacks. Julio Cesar Sosa- Celis was also shot during this period in North Minneapolis. In all three cases the federal government lied about what happened despite video contradicting them.
These detention centers – like Prairieland, or North Lake in Baldwin, Michigan — are essentially concentration camps. We can hardly keep up with the cases of people dying in these horrific places – usually from preventable health complications. This barely scratches the surface of inhuman treatment that detainees face. We know of rampant child and sexual abuse in these facilities where there is next to no oversight or access by lawyers.
With all this in mind we must continue to organize to fight this genocidal machine. The tools of human destruction being tested throughout the global south — in Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Venezuela, and beyond are making their way here as well. We must show solidarity with the people that fight back. We should celebrate them! And we should join the fight to abolish ICE and destroy capitalism and US imperialism. It is right to rebel!
The trial is over but there is much to do in supporting the Prairieland 9. Learn more at prairielanddefendants.com/get-involved/
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