Federal prosecutors are accusing nine people in Spokane, Washington, of violence against federal agents in the wake of an anti-ICE mass demonstration in June.
On Tuesday, FBI agents began arresting people involved in the protest, following a grand jury indictment on July 9, as reported by The Spokesman-Review. Among those detained was former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart, who was charged with engaging in conspiracy to impede or injure law enforcement.
The eight others face similar charges, though two are also charged with assault on a federal officer, per the Department of Justice.
The move by the Trump administration has drawn criticism from local and national leaders. U.S. Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., called the arrests a “gross abuse of federal resources” and a “disturbing perversion of justice.”
Spokane Mayor Lisa Wright referred to the DOJ’s actions as a “politically motivated action.”
“The Trump Administration’s weaponization of ICE and the DOJ is trampling on the U.S. Constitution and creating widespread fear across our community,” Wright said in a statement Tuesday.
The mass demonstration on June 11 was in response to the detention of two young asylum seekers in Spokane by ICE who were present in the U.S. legally. Stuckart posted a call to action on social media, creating a large protest which swelled to hundreds in the streets of Spokane and led to Stuckart’s arrest for blocking an ICE vehicle.
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Among those arrested on Tuesday was Bajun Mavalwalla II, who allegedly blocked a driveway when federal agents tried to leave the area. He was arrested early in the morning while staying at the home of his father, Bajun Mavalwalla Sr.
“I demanded a warrant, they refused and wouldn’t show it until everyone left the home. My son was protesting on June 11, they said he assaulted officers,” Mavalwalla Sr. said. “My son worked in cybersecurity and was deployed to Afghanistan. He has no problems with the law.”
“This is a scare tactic,” Mavawalla Sr. said. “This is what they’re doing now.”
