Activist Indicted for Supplying Face Shields During June L.A. Protests Against ICE Raids

A California activist who was arrested last month for distributing face shields and other items at protests against President Donald Trump's immigration raids has been indicted. A federal grand jury this week charged him with conspiracy and aiding and abetting civil disorder. The indictment is one of more than a dozen brought by federal prosecutors in the aftermath of mass protests across Los Angeles in June.

According to court records, Alejandro Orellana, 29, and at least two others drove through downtown Los Angeles on June 9 in a pickup truck, distributing Uvex Bionic face shields and other supplies to protesters gathered near a federal building on Los Angeles Street.

Prosecutors allege that Orellana was helping demonstrators resist non-lethal munitions deployed by Los Angeles police officers and L.A. County sheriff's deputies after authorities declared the assembly unlawful, The Los Angeles Times reported.

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, recently appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi to serve the Central District of California, has pledged to pursue individuals who interfere with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations or who harm law enforcement during protests.

Essayli said last month that prosecutors would take their time to identify individuals who participated in or assisted protests against ICE raids.

"We're coming after all these people," Essayli said in June. "So let's be clear: This is the beginning, not the end."

So far, federal prosecutors have filed at least 14 cases connected to the protests.

When asked how distributing protective gear constituted a crime, Essayli claimed that Orellana targeted violent demonstrators.

"He wasn't handing masks out at the beach," Essayli told The Times. "They're covering their faces. They're wearing backpacks. These weren't peaceful protesters. They weren't holding up signs with a political message. They came to do violence."

Essayli also argued that anyone who remained at the protest after the unlawful assembly was declared could be considered a rioter.

"Peaceful protesters don't need face shields," he added.

Orellana was arrested June 12 when FBI agents raided the home he shares with his parents. He was released the following day after pressure from activist groups, including Centro CSO, a local branch of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

Following the indictment, Centro CSO launched a fundraiser for his legal defense and announced plans to hold a protest on July 3 calling for the charges to be dropped.

"Orellana is facing 5 years for protesting ICE raids. Protesting is not a crime! Alejandro did nothing wrong!" the group wrote on Instagram.

Orellana, who works for UPS and has no criminal record, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, according to Carlos Montes, a fellow Centro CSO member.

Montes told The Times that he believes federal prosecutors are targeting the group for its pro-immigrant activism. He also said FBI agents seized another member's cellphone in late June as part of the investigation.

"These are ridiculous charges," Montes said. "We're demanding they be dropped. The most it amounts to is he was passing out personal protective equipment — boxes of water, hand sanitizer and snacks."

Orellana faces up to five years in prison if convicted. He is scheduled to appear in court July 3.

As reported by Fox News, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has filed protest-related charges against more than 40 people, including eight new indictments announced July 1.