The professor facing prison in ‘antifa’ case: ‘They want to scare all who oppose ICE’

Erik Davis photographed in St Paul, Minnesota, earlier this month. Photograph: Eric Ruby/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Erik Davis photographed in St Paul, Minnesota, earlier this month. Photograph: Eric Ruby/The Guardian The professor facing prison in ‘antifa’ case: ‘They want to scare all who oppose ICE’ Erik Davis is accused by the government of a ‘conspiracy’ to obstruct ICE – experts say it’s part of a pattern to criminalize lawful organizing and ruin activists’ lives Erik Davis was driving to a medical appointment in St Paul, Minnesota , on 16 June when federal agents surrounded his car. “They hauled me out … and put me in a belly chain,” recalled the 53-year-old. He was arrested on the spot on charges of being part of a “conspiracy” to “impede or injure” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Davis, a college professor and father of two, was one of thousands of Minnesotans who had rallied earlier this year when the Trump administration launched an aggressive crackdown on immigrants in the Twin Cities. Now the government alleged that he and 14 others used “force, intimidation, and threats” to prevent officers from carrying out their duties. In its 94-page indictment, the government has argued that Direct Action Minnesota, the loose coalition of organizers that Davis was connected with, conspired to obstruct federal law enforcement and had “ties” to “antifa”. The prosecution follows a pattern seen in other cases against demonstrators this year, with the government highlighting the comments and actions of some activists in the coalition to paint all 15 defendants as agitators pursuing violence against ICE. One such case in Chicago spectacularly collapsed last month. Demonstrators in Texas were recently convicted of terrorism charges and sentenced to decades behind bars , though in that case one protester shot and injured an officer . Prosecutors have not alleged any specific injuries to officers in Minnesota. Civil rights advocates have said these prosecutions, even when unsuccessful, are part of an effort to criminalize lawful community organizing , weaken movements opposing deportations and turn the lives of activists upside down. Davis, the government says, has attended and facilitated meetings about protests and discussed his “anti-authoritarian” ideology with other activists. He is not accused of violent acts, taking any specific actions at protests nor having any encounters with ICE agents. He is facing six years in prison. “It’s petty revenge,” Davis said. “They’re trying to portray being part of a community as an illegal conspiratorial act.” Davis, and other defendants interviewed by the Guardian , are confident that the case against them will collapse. But the government is trying to send a signal, he said: “This isn’t just about us. It’s about trying to scare everybody who opposes ICE.” ‘Everybody wanted to do something’ Davis is a Buddhist studies scholar at Macalester College in St Paul and has long been part o