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Three protesters dubbed the “Spokane 3” were indicted Thursday on conspiracy charges stemming from protests against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Washington state last year.
The defendants — Jac Archer, Justice Forral and Bajun Mavalwalla II — are accused of trying to prevent police from transporting two immigrants from Spokane to Tacoma in June 2025, KUOW reported.
They were among hundreds of protesters who responded to a social media post by former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart that fans had blocked a bus, according to the report.
Stuckart was working as a sponsor for one of two immigrants seeking asylum in the United States.
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Protesters hold a “Stop ICE” sign after being removed by Seattle police during a bill signing ceremony with Gov. Bob Ferguson on March 19, 2026, in Seattle. (Lindsey Wasson/AP)
He was later arrested along with nine other protesters on conspiracy charges.
According to KUOW, Stuckart and five others pleaded guilty in exchange for reduced sentences.
After Thursday’s decision, Washington state Rep. Natasha Hill, D-Spokane, criticized Stuckart for not taking up the issue.
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Federal agents arrest an anti-ICE protester outside the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, Ore., on Oct. 12, 2025, during a protest against federal immigration laws and police tactics. (Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty)
“You started this thing and you couldn’t even show up to finish it,” said Hill. “So I am calling you, and I am asking others to do what you said you would do, to represent your community because the war is not over with this case.”
Stuckart later wrote on Facebook that attending the trial for two weeks would have violated the terms of his parole.
“I feel bad about the guilty verdict,” he wrote. “I feel bad for Jac, Bajun and Justice and their families. I support those who took plea deals and I support those who go to court.”
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People protest in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in Washington, DC, on Jan. 24, 2026, following the shooting death of a man by immigration police in Minneapolis earlier that day. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images)
He also mentioned the two arrested immigrants.
“I’m trying my best to finish what I started by taking care of the boys that the government took for granted,” Stuckart wrote.
Bajun Mavalwalla Sr., the father of one of the convicted protesters and a former congressional candidate, said prosecutors are trying to make an example of his son, according to KUOW.
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He accused the government of trying to discourage Americans from speaking out against immigration enforcement policies.
“The right to protest, the right to protest, the right to assemble – all those things are now in question because of this case,” he said. “In other cases across the country, the jury was not tainted and the charges were dismissed.”
