Three anti-ICE activists face years in federal prison after a nonviolent protest, in a case that could reshape the boundaries of free speech and civil disobedience in the United States
On June 11, 2025, hundreds of people gathered outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Spokane, Washington, after learning that two asylum seekers were about to be transferred to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.
The demonstration began after a public call circulated on social media urging residents to peacefully block the transport vehicle. Protesters sat in front of the bus, hoping to delay or prevent the transfer of the detainees. The action was part of a long tradition of nonviolent civil disobedience used in the United States to oppose government policies considered unjust.
Federal authorities responded with an unusually aggressive legal strategy. Nine demonstrators were indicted on federal charges, including conspiracy to impede federal officers. While six later accepted plea agreements, three defendants chose to contest the charges in court. They became known nationally as the Spokane Three.
Their trial, held in federal court in May 2026, drew national attention from civil rights organizations, legal observers, labor unions, and free speech advocates. Prosecutors argued that the defendants coordinated efforts to obstruct ICE officers carrying out their duties. Defense attorneys maintained that the demonstration was a constitutionally protected protest and that the government had transformed an act of civil disobedience into a felony conspiracy case.
A federal jury ultimately found the three activists guilty of conspiracy. They now face sentences of up to six years in prison and substantial financial penalties. Defense lawyers have announced plans to appeal, arguing that the prosecution threatens longstanding First Amendment protections by expanding conspiracy law to encompass peaceful political protest.
Legal scholars have noted that the Spokane Three case may establish an important precedent for future demonstrations against immigration enforcement. Critics argue that the government’s approach risks discouraging public protest by exposing demonstrators to severe federal criminal liability. Supporters of the prosecution contend that obstructing federal officers goes beyond protected speech and enters the realm of criminal conduct.
Beyond the courtroom, the Spokane Three have become symbols in the broader national debate over immigration enforcement, democratic participation, and the limits of dissent under the Trump administration. Their case is now cited alongside other recent federal prosecutions targeting anti-ICE activists across the United States, reinforcing concerns that protest itself is increasingly being treated as a criminal conspiracy rather than protected political expression.
Jac Archer is a community organizer and attorney based in Spokane, Washington. Long involved in immigrant rights and social justice advocacy, Archer participated in the June 2025 demonstration outside the Spokane ICE office, where protesters attempted to delay the transfer of detained asylum seekers. Rather than accepting a plea agreement, Archer chose to challenge the federal conspiracy charges in court, arguing that peaceful protest is protected by the First Amendment. Following the conviction, Archer became one of the most recognizable faces of the Spokane Three case.
Justice Forral is a human rights advocate from Spokane who has served on the city’s Human Rights Commission and has worked with local organizations supporting vulnerable communities. Forral joined the June 2025 anti-ICE protest in solidarity with detained immigrants. Federal prosecutors accused them of participating in a conspiracy to impede federal officers, while supporters described their actions as nonviolent civil disobedience. The conviction has made Forral a prominent figure in the national debate over the criminalization of protest.
Bajun Mavalwalla II is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan as a Japanese linguist with the National Guard. After leaving military service, he became active in community organizing and immigrant rights advocacy in Washington State. He was among the demonstrators who joined the Spokane protest against ICE in June 2025. Refusing to plead guilty, Mavalwalla argued that he had committed no assault and had simply exercised his constitutional right to protest. Since his conviction, he has become one of the leading public voices criticizing the government’s use of conspiracy charges against peaceful demonstrators.
