A federal jury in Spokane is set to decide whether Bajun Mavalwalla II, a former Bay Area resident and Army veteran, joined a criminal conspiracy tied to the June 11, 2025 anti-ICE demonstration that blocked an immigration transport and rattled the city. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pennell has scheduled the trial to begin May 18, after denying pretrial dismissal motions earlier this month. The case now has a political twist, as Mavalwalla’s father, also named Bajun Mavalwalla, is running for Washington’s 5th Congressional District while openly criticizing the prosecution.
At a tense pretrial hearing, Judge Pennell refused defense requests to dismiss the indictment, ruling that a jury should decide whether responding to a Facebook call to action can constitute criminal conspiracy. As reported by RANGE, the court also set a May 5 hearing to hash out evidentiary disputes, including a government bid to block references to broader protest-policing memos and demonstrations nationwide. Spokane Public Radio has noted that attorneys on both sides are already jockeying over what jurors will be allowed to hear once the trial starts.
Charges, Arrests and the Local Scene
Federal prosecutors charged nine people, now commonly called the "Spokane 9," with conspiring to impede or injure a federal officer. The indictment carries potential penalties of up to six years in prison and a $250,000 fine. According to reporting by The Press Democrat, FBI agents arrested Mavalwalla II and eight others on July 15, 2025, in the weeks after the June demonstration. Local coverage reported that the number of people detained by city and county law enforcement on June 11 was about 30.
Defense lawyers describe what happened as nonviolent civil disobedience. Prosecutors counter that video footage and official reports show protesters blocking exits and disabling a transport van, turning what supporters call a protest into what the government says was a calculated effort to stop federal officers from doing their jobs.
Why the Case Matters Beyond Spokane
The prosecution is unfolding in the middle of a broader Justice Department push to prioritize cases linked to unrest around immigration enforcement. An internal memo, reported by national outlets, directed U.S. attorneys to treat such cases as prosecutorial priorities. As detailed by CBS News, that guidance has reshaped how some federal offices handle protest-related referrals.
At the same time, a joint investigation by ProPublica and FRONTLINE found that dozens of similar arrests across the country have often fallen apart in court, raising questions about how solid this wave of cases really is and how far the federal crackdown can go.
Politics, Fundraising and Local Fallout
The legal fight has spilled straight into electoral politics. Mavalwalla I’s run for Washington’s 5th District has turned his family into a lightning rod for both activists and critics. According to The Mercury News, incumbent Michael Baumgartner had raised roughly $1.4 million by the first quarter of 2026, while Mavalwalla’s campaign reported about $45,000 in the same period, a fundraising gap that observers say is hard to ignore in a federal race.
On the stump and in interviews, Mavalwalla I has sharply criticized the prosecution, arguing that the use of federal conspiracy charges against protesters has scared community members and chilled local organizing.
What’s at Stake in Court
Prosecutors have told the court they will present security footage and witness accounts that, in their view, show protesters deliberately obstructing officers and preventing a transport vehicle from leaving the area. Defense teams respond that many of the actions described in the indictment amount to protected protest activity and say the government is stretching a century-old statute well beyond what Congress intended.
Reporting by RANGE notes that six of the nine defendants have already accepted plea deals. The remaining three, including Mavalwalla II, are holding out for a jury trial, a choice that legal observers say will reveal how these immigration-related prosecutions hold up under close scrutiny.
Next up are the May 5 hearing to settle evidentiary fights and the May 18 trial start. The case is poised to remain a flashpoint where local protest tactics, a hard-fought congressional campaign and national enforcement priorities collide, with a judge’s rulings on what jurors can see and hear likely to shape how far this prosecution ultimately goes.
