Day 561

NPR: conspiracy charges against ICE protesters now a national pattern

NPR reports that since 2025 the Justice Department has charged more than three dozen people in at least 10 cases under the Civil War-era conspiracy-to-impede statute (18 U.S.C. § 372), all involving opposition to ICE, with nearly 50 more indicted on other conspiracy statutes in Michigan, Texas and Minnesota. A six-defendant Broadview, Illinois case was dismissed in spring 2026 over alleged prosecutorial misconduct; in Spokane, two defendants not accused of property damage were convicted at trial.

From: DOJ Charges 15 Anti-ICE Protesters with Felony Conspiracy in Minneapolis