donald-trump – Green Party of Utah

The Green Party of Utah (GPUT) strongly condemns the recent federal sentencing (June 23, 2026) of immigrant, tattoo artist, and political activist Daniel “Des” Sanchez Estrada, alongside his fellow Prairieland defendants. This troubling escalation in the federal prosecution of political dissent—rooted in a demonstration at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Texas—represents a severe threat to basic democratic freedoms and constitutional rights.

Daniel Sanchez Estrada was targeted, trailed by federal agents, and arrested following a minor traffic stop, ultimately facing federal charges for distributing widely available anarchist zines. The federal government’s campaign to map peaceful political expression onto fictitious “domestic terrorism” networks is an explicit attempt to silence critics of immigration enforcement and border militarization.

This prosecution directly undermines the core tenets of a free society. The GPUT stands firmly on our party’s national platform and Four Pillars: Peace, Ecology, Social Justice, and Grassroots Democracy.

GPUT members maintain that the weaponization of the judicial system to criminalize alternative literature and target immigrant communities is a direct assault on Grassroots Democracy and Social Justice. The party asserts that when independent media and political zines are treated as contraband or evidence of terrorism, the state is actively intimidating regular people into silence. Green Party members emphasize that free speech cannot be conditional on whether the government approves of the literature being printed.

By exploiting Des’s immigration status to maximize prosecutorial leverage, federal agencies are setting a dangerous precedent that criminalizes the right to assembly and free speech. This strategy disproportionately targets immigrant, migrant, and refugee organizers who speak out against systemic human rights violations inside detention centers.

In alignment with the foundational Green value of Non-Violence, GPUT members stand opposed to this institutional violence being used to crush peaceful political opposition. Party members point out that Des and the other Prairieland activists chose to bear witness to the cruelty of the immigration system. The GPUT holds that handing down heavy prison sentences for the simple act of sharing ideas and carrying zines is a severe federal overreach that should deeply alarm all people, regardless of political affiliation.

The GPUT previously signed onto the “Free Des” solidarity letter and continues to stand in unwavering alignment with the dozens of legal, civil rights, and grassroots organizations demanding systemic accountability. True safety and justice cannot exist in a society where political speech is criminalized, and where a small, authoritarian minority dictates what ideas are safe to read, share, or possess.

We call for the immediate release of Daniel “Des” Sanchez Estrada and all political prisoners targeted for their defense of immigrant rights. A threat to political dissent anywhere is an immediate threat to the freedom of us all.

Free Des History and Press Statement, June 23

Prairieland Defendant Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Moving a Box of Antifascist Zines, June 23

Zines Are Not a Crime! Free Des Sanchez, January 12

The Green Party of Utah (GPUT) strongly condemns the Killings committed by Federal Employees during the month of January 2026, as well as the failure of the elected officials associated with both the Republican and Democratic Parties to put an end to the violent and inhumane violations of Constitutional Rights plainly evident to the Public.

“The current and recent actions committed by, and at the behest of, the Executive Branch of our National Government are plainly in violation of not only multiple Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, but of virtually every definition of Human Rights,” states Tom King, member of the GPUT. “And yet, the Elected Representatives of the People, orders from State and Federal Courts, and hundreds of Court Cases have all failed to stop these actions from continuing.”

Matt Styles, Secretary of the GPUT adds, “Renee Good and Alex Pretti were innocent, law-abiding U.S. citizens who were executed in the street for no other reason than for resisting unlawful coercion by Federal ICE agents. They are not the only victims either, with many more dying in ICE detention centers even when they do comply. The only thing arguably more horrendous than this may be the complicity of our elected officials in allowing this to continue. At this point it is clear that the only way we will get the message across is to organize together and shut the system down with a general strike. When we stand together, we win.”

The GPUT therefore issues an urgent and strong call for these actions:

The Elected Officials from both Major political parties work with each other in their respective chambers of Congress to quickly and urgently put an end to the current GOP Regime’s actions against the American People and the Constitution of the United States.
The removal of funding from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
The immediate suspension of the illegal and deadly actions in which ICE and CBP are engaged
The investigation and prosecution of any violations of Court Orders or Laws in which this Regime has engaged.

More information: greenpartyofutah.org greenpartyutah@gmail.com