Federal Case Unravels, Four Felony Charges on Minnesota Activist Are Turned Into One Misdemeanor
Minneapolis, MN — Artist and activist Isabel “Isa” Lopez had five federal charges with a possibility of eight years in prison reduced to one misdemeanor and was sentenced to time served and a $25 administration fine on June 23, 2026. Her sentencing marks a blow to the federal government as hers was the first federal case in the new wave of federal prosecutions against protesters standing up for immigrants in Minneapolis, which includes The Righteous 39, the Minnesota 15, and many more.
Lopez was originally charged with two counts of felony assault on a federal officer and one count of felony obstruction during a civil disorder after she responded along with hundreds of community members to a contentious federal raid on Lake Street in Minneapolis on June 3, 2025, six months before Operation Metro Surge.
A few days after the raid, federal agents arrested Lopez following an interview with independent journalist Georgia Fort in downtown St. Paul and charged her with another felony assault for allegedly hitting a federal agent during the arrest.
Lopez’s case was continuously delayed and several trials were cancelled. Lopez has now accepted a plea agreement to a lesser misdemeanor charge of impeding a federal investigation and was given no prison time and no probation.
Since her arrest and charges, Lopez was the recipient of waves of community support. Some of her supporters spoke outside the federal courthouse in Minneapolis after her plea agreement and sentencing hearing.
Nekima Levy Armstrong, who’s part of The Righteous 39 and facing federal felony charges from the Cities Church protest in January 2026, said that Lopez’s strength has provided “an example of what it means to stand up and to fight, and to not back down.”
“I just want to say I am so proud of Isa Lopez and the strength that she has endured and demonstrated over the last year, the fact that she was one of probably the first person to be charged by the federal government meant that she had a lot riding on her shoulders, and she gave the rest of us an example of what it means to stand up and to fight, and to not back down. The fact that the federal government started out with five felonies and wound up giving Isa a plea agreement for one misdemeanor shows you how weak they actually are. Those charges never should have been brought in the first place.”
Nekima Levy Armstrong
The charges on Lopez “were a politicized effort to criminalize support for immigrant communities and chill dissent,” said the Minnesota branch of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG).
“From the beginning, these charges were politically motivated and racially charged. Isa has no prior criminal history. She is a beloved poet, artist, and community leader — known for her courage, creativity, and healing presence. The alleged charges were not a good-faith effort to ensure public safety; they were a politicized effort to criminalize support for immigrant communities and chill dissent. Despite these attempts to silence her, Isa and her community have stood strong. In line with her values, she has used this platform not only to fight her case, but to call for the release of all immigrant detainees. Now, after nearly a year of fighting in court, Isa has triumphed over this vindictive prosecution.”
National Lawyers Guild – Minnesota
During the presser after the sentencing, Lopez said “life is good. I was honestly really surprised about the sentencing.” She was happy she didn’t get stuck with probation as she said she can now leave the country and visit her family, so that was a “huge sense of relief.”
However, she also spoke about the lasting trauma of being beaten by federal agents and arrested last year. Wherever she is, she says she always feels “like there’s someone watching me,” or “someone’s going to come and hurt me or grab me again.”
Jordan Kushner, Isa’s lawyer, spoke after the hearing about Isa’s strength and courage to stand up for her community and her beliefs. He said the way to win against fascism is “to not get intimidated and keep the resistance up.”
“The Trump Administration’s lawlessness has not been contained to the streets. The United States Attorney’s Office has faced scrutiny and sanctions for prosecutorial misconduct and repeated failures to comply with U.S. District Court Judges’ orders. Dozens of U.S. Attorneys from the Department of Justice have resigned in protest. Amidst this chaos, the Trump Administration continues to pursue several political prosecutions. Like Isa, the vast majority of these cases have been dismissed or favorably resolved. Yet, this fight is not over: over 50 individuals – including the Righteous 39 and the Observer 15 – continue to face legal persecution for the efforts to protest Operation Metro Surge.”
Akičita Šuŋka-Wakaŋ Ska contributed to this report for Unicorn Riot.
Past coverage of Isa’s case:
ICE-Led ‘Homeland Security Task Force’ Raid Draws Large Mobilization in Minneapolis [June 5, 2025]
Plainclothes Feds Arrest Poet After Interview With Press, Unseal Conflated Complaint [June 11, 2025]
Minneapolis Community Rallies Behind Isabel Lopez to Demand Feds Drop Charges [Sept. 28, 2025]
Poet’s Federal Trial Set For February, Community Continues Support [Nov. 28, 2025]
2025-2026 Unicorn Riot Coverage of the DHS / ICE Crackdown Campaign in Minnesota:
Click the image to see all UR coverage of federal law enforcement operations in MN.
Watch Unicorn Riot’s videos from ICE in Minnesota in playlist below.
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