In early July 2025, a group of activists in Ferris, Texas, convened to plan a protest against the detention conditions at a nearby immigration facility operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The group, which included local organizers and armed individuals trained in military tactics, met regularly for what they described as “gear checks” to prepare for potential confrontations. These meetings typically took place in private settings, such as a backyard in Ferris, with participants practicing defensive maneuvers and reviewing videos on tactical operations.

At one such meeting on July 3, key members of the group, including Meagan Morris, Autumn Hill, Song—a former Marine—and their partners, discussed the growing anti-ICE demonstrations occurring nationwide, particularly in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles. While protests had gained momentum in urban centers, the Dallas area had yet to see significant action. Song, who led much of the training, proposed staging a protest at the Prairieland detention center, a facility known for overcrowded and unsanitary conditions where detainees were reportedly confined in poorly maintained dormitories.

The Prairieland facility, located outside Dallas and capable of holding around 700 individuals, was chosen partly because of its remote location and perceived minimal security. Song presented photographs of the building, noting a largely unmanned guard shack and limited surveillance cameras, suggesting the facility would be vulnerable to direct action. He outlined a plan to deploy “suppressive fire” — shooting in the general direction of ICE personnel to force them to take cover without aiming to hit anyone — which would, in theory, allow the group to break detainees out of the compound.

Several members of the group expressed skepticism about the feasibility and risks of such an operation. Participants debated logistical challenges, including how to transport a large number of detainees once freed, and quickly acknowledged the plan’s impracticalities given the short timeline. Ultimately, the group set aside the idea of forcibly breaching the facility.

Instead, they turned their focus to organizing a symbolic nighttime noise demonstration outside the detention center. The idea, inspired by similar tactics used in other cities, involved staked-out protests near hotels housing ICE officers, where activists disrupted sleep with horns, fireworks, and banging pots and pans. This approach promised a visible and audible act of resistance without escalating to violence. The group viewed this as an effective way to raise attention on Independence Day, July 4, drawing a stark contrast between the country’s celebrations and the plight of detained immigrants.

Song encouraged participants to carry firearms during the protest, emphasizing preparedness and self-defense. While some members, like Susan Kent—a participant who later testified in court—expressed discomfort and framed some of Song’s statements as hypothetical, others were more receptive to the paramilitary tone of the meetings.

The planned protest aimed to highlight the conditions at Prairieland and join a larger wave of demonstrations against ICE detention practices, underscoring ongoing tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in the United States.