SPOKANE, Wash. – Nine people from Spokane appeared in federal court Tuesday in connection to the ICE protests on June 11.
They face charges including conspiracy to impede or injure officers and assaulting a federal officer.
Among those charged is former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart. Other notable community leaders involved are Justice Forral and Erin Lang, who also face criminal charges in Spokane County Superior Court.
Of the nine charged, seven were released. Two defendants, facing assault charges, were detained. They have a hearing to review that detainment on Friday at 10am.
Stuckart had previously spoken to NonStop Local on June 11, expressing his concerns.
“It’s not right, it’s not morally right what’s happening,” Stuckart said.
Court documents allege that the protests began with a social media message posted by Stuckart.
He called for people to protest at the Cataldo ICE facility after two Venezuelan men were detained while checking their paperwork.
The charging documents indicate that protestors blocked a vehicle meant to transport the men to a larger facility in Tacoma.
A masked individual spray-painted the van’s windshield, which was caught on camera. Another red van brought for transport was also damaged. During the nearly seven-hour ordeal, a federal officer was reportedly struck. Eventually, both detainees were transported to Tacoma.
Stuckart and several others were arrested by Spokane police that evening.
While the city charges against Stuckart, which were misdemeanors, were dropped, the criminal cases against Forral and Lang remain ongoing. More than a month after the June protest, Stuckart and the other eight protesters face federal charges and are detained by ICE.
Attempts to contact Stuckart went unanswered, but Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown released a statement condemning the detainment.
“I just learned that several community leaders were detained this morning by federal agents apparently for their roles in the June 11 demonstration at the ICE facility. I’m outraged.
This politically motivated action is a perversion of our justice system. The Trump Administration’s weaponization of ICE and the DOJ is trampling on the U.S. Constitution and creating widespread fear across our community.
Spokane has been a welcoming city for immigrants and refugees for decades. The Trump Administration and Congress must provide legal pathways for people fleeing violence and seeking the American dream. That will make America great.”
