Although acquitted of the most serious violent charges, Rueda received a decades-long sentence under federal sentencing enhancements.
Maricela Rueda was arrested in connection with the protest held on July 4, 2025, outside the Prairieland Detention Center, a federal immigration detention facility located in Alvarado, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area in Texas, United States.
According to court records, the protest—held on Independence Day—escalated into violent clashes between a group of demonstrators and law enforcement. Prosecutors allege that some participants used fireworks and improvised explosive devices against security personnel, and that during the chaos a local police officer was struck by a firearm and sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Rueda was later indicted alongside several co-defendants in a broader federal case that included charges such as riot, use and transportation of explosives during a violent act, and in some instances material support allegations under federal counterterrorism statutes. Authorities described the case as part of a rare application of terrorism-related enhancements in prosecutions involving politically motivated protest activity.
The trial concluded in March 2026 with mixed verdicts. The jury acquitted Rueda of the most serious charges directly related to violence and the shooting of the officer, but found her guilty of lesser offenses connected to participation in the riot and alleged conspiracy-related conduct.
Despite the acquittal on the violent charges, the federal court applied a sentencing enhancement related to terrorism, resulting in a 70-year prison sentence. Other defendants in the same case received sentences ranging from 30 to 100 years, depending on their alleged roles.
Bail for Rueda had initially been set at 10 million dollars, reflecting the severity of the federal charges brought during the early stages of the investigation.
The case has drawn criticism from the defense and civil rights organizations, particularly through the Muslim Legal Fund of America’s National Security Criminal Defense Center, which has taken over representation in the appeal and post-sentencing phase. The defense argues that the use of terrorism-related statutes represents an expansion of their application against protest participants who were not directly involved in acts of violence, and points to what it describes as significant disparities compared to similar federal cases.
According to defense filings, Rueda—described as a doula, artist, and mother—did not take part in the shooting of the officer, which is attributed to another defendant, but was nevertheless included in the broader prosecution due to her participation in the protest.
The appeal process is ongoing.
Please read a poem by Mari, published here!
Arrest date: July 4, 2025
Federal case number: 4:25-CR-00259-P
State case number: DC-F202500975
Write letters to Rueda using the following address:
Johnson County Jail, TX
Maricela Rueda, 202502018
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
Also please see this additional fundraiser that Mari’s family has created.
