A Korean-American man who participated in a protest against the arrest and deportation of undocumented immigrants by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been sentenced to 100 years in prison by a federal court.

On Tuesday, the 23rd, eight protesters, whom the U.S. Department of Justice alleged were linked to Antifa, were sentenced to decades in federal prison in connection with a shooting incident that occurred last year outside the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, North Texas.

U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor, one of two judges presiding over the case, stated that the protest was not merely an act of dissent, but an "attack on democracy."

He emphasized that there is a critical need to deter behaviors such as those witnessed during the protest.

According to the Associated Press, one of the eight protesters, Benjamin Song (Korean name: Song Han-il), a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist, was convicted and sentenced to 100 years in prison for firing a weapon and injuring a police officer during the protest on July 4, 2025.

At the time, Song, dressed in black military-style attire and tactical gear, carried out an organized ambush on law enforcement officers outside the detention center. During the incident, Lieutenant Thomas Gross of the Alvarado Police Department sustained gunshot wounds to his neck and shoulder.

Following the shooting, Song fled the scene and was placed on the most-wanted lists of both the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Despite a $35,000 reward for his capture, he was apprehended by an FBI SWAT team at an apartment in Dallas on July 16, 2025, 11 days after the incident.

Investigations revealed that Benjamin Song was the ringleader of the Antifa cell involved. It was discovered that he had personally purchased four firearms, including the AR-style rifle used in the crime, and distributed them to his accomplices.

In a jury trial in March 2026, Song was convicted on 10 of 13 charges, including attempted murder of a police officer, inciting a riot, and providing material support to terrorists.

On June 23, at a sentencing hearing held at the U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman handed down a 100-year prison sentence.

Meanwhile, outside the courthouse, the defendant's family and supporters held a press conference, strongly condemning the long prison sentences.

Song's mother, Hope Song, insisted that her son did not target the police officer and had no intention of harming anyone.

Although prosecutors have classified the event as an act of terrorism, Song's attorney, Philip Hayes, stated outside the court that he does not agree with the characterization of the protesters as extremists.

Another defendant, Daniel Sanchez Estrada, was found guilty of improper concealment of documents and conspiracy to conceal documents. According to the AP, other defendants pleaded guilty to charges of providing material support to terrorists in lieu of standing trial. The remaining defendants were sentenced to terms ranging from 30 to 70 years in prison.

U.S. NNP = Representative Reporter Sung-Goo Hong / Special Correspondent for NNP info@newsandpost.com