Tlaib Sparks Backlash After Defending Convicted Antifa Members

Rep. Rashida Tlaib is facing fierce backlash after condemning lengthy prison sentences handed down to members of an alleged antifa cell convicted in connection with a violent attack on a Texas immigration detention facility.

The case included Benjamin Song, a former Marine Corps reservist who was sentenced to 100 years in prison after a jury convicted him of attempted murder for shooting Alvarado Police Lt. Thomas Gross during the July 4, 2025, attack.

Gross survived after being struck in the neck and shoulder.

Seven other defendants received sentences ranging from 30 to 70 years after being convicted on charges that included providing material support to terrorists, conspiracy involving firearms and explosives, and rioting.

After the sentencing, Tlaib took to social media to denounce the outcome.

“These sentences are a travesty and totally unjustified, but that’s the point,” the Michigan Democrat wrote.

“Americans hate the fascist Trump regime, so the only way they can try to cling to power is brute force.”

Tlaib also attacked National Security Presidential Memorandum 7, the directive President Donald Trump issued after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk that designated antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.

“NSPM-7 is a grave threat to all of us and more bulls— ‘terrorism’ charges like these are coming,” Tlaib added.

Her comments drew immediate condemnation from conservatives and Trump administration officials, who accused the congresswoman of minimizing violence against law enforcement.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said Tlaib’s remarks crossed a serious line.

“Defending antifa terrorists who tried to massacre state and federal law enforcement is unacceptable from a member of Congress,” Miller wrote.

Journalist Andy Ngo, who has spent years documenting antifa activity, also criticized Tlaib’s defense of the defendants.

“They were proven at court to be part of a terrorist antifa cell that trained for and planned violence using firearms,” Ngo wrote.

“They used large explosives to lure out federal agents and police before shooting one in the neck,” he added.

Ngo said the trial included testimony from former members of the group who cooperated with prosecutors.

“The trial featured key testimonies from five cell members who flipped, detailing how they organized behind the antifa ideology,” Ngo wrote.

He then directed his criticism at Tlaib personally.

“Congresswoman, I know you must be very upset that these terrorists you are sympathetic to didn’t get away with it this time.”

Conservative columnist Kurt Schlichter offered a shorter response.

“Counterpoint: Her friends shot a cop,” he wrote.

According to federal prosecutors, the attack unfolded on the evening of July 4, 2025, when members of the group arrived at the immigration detention center wearing dark clothing and masks while carrying firearms, explosives, and military-grade medical equipment.

Prosecutors said the group vandalized security cameras, launched fireworks at the facility, and attempted to lure officers outside.

When local police responded to a 911 call, prosecutors said Song shouted, “Get to the rifles!” before opening fire on Gross.

Federal prosecutors argued the attack was not a protest but a planned assault meant to target law enforcement officers responding to the scene.

“Their terrorist acts, attempted murder, vandalism, and explosives launched at a detention facility were a far cry from a peaceful protest or First Amendment expression,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas said after sentencing.

“We will continue in this mission to hold others accountable who perpetrate such violence and fund these ANTIFA groups in the Northern District of Texas.”

Song’s attorneys argued during trial that he acted in self-defense, describing the gunfire as “suppressive fire.”

U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman rejected that argument before imposing the maximum sentence.

Relatives of several defendants argued the punishments were excessive and claimed the group never intended for violence to occur.

Tlaib’s office did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment following the backlash, Fox News reported.

The case marked the first successful federal terrorism prosecution involving alleged antifa members since the Trump administration designated the movement a domestic terrorist organization under National Security Presidential Memorandum 7.

For conservatives, Tlaib’s reaction is another example of the left’s dangerous double standard on political violence.

When the target is law enforcement, ICE, or Trump administration officials, too many Democrats seem more eager to attack the justice system than defend public order.

The facts presented in court were serious: armed militants, explosives, a detention facility, and an officer shot during the attack.

That is not activism.

That is not dissent.

That is violence against law enforcement.

And when a sitting member of Congress calls those sentences a “travesty,” voters have every right to ask whose side she is really on.