The ‘Antifa Scare’ Goes on Trial in North Texas
As nine of the "Prairieland 19" face their days in court, the broader constitutional rights of left-wing activists may hang in the balance.
Since 1954

Steven Monacelli is a special investigative correspondent for the Observer and a freelance investigative journalist based in Dallas. He covers extremism, disinformation, and other topics. His reporting has been featured in Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, The Real News, Dallas Observer, Dallas Weekly, and more. He is also the publisher of Protean Magazine, a nonprofit literary publication.
As nine of the "Prairieland 19" face their days in court, the broader constitutional rights of left-wing activists may hang in the balance.
Last week, the prosecutor James Rodden returned to Dallas immigration court a year after the Observer's original investigation into his social media. Congressman Marc Veasey’s amendment did not receive a committee vote Wednesday.
The neo-Nazi group is engaged in a strategy to establish an independent economic ecosystem. Through publicly available information, interviews, and in-person observation, the Observer has identified companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that are operated either by members of Patriot Front or individuals with multiple connections to Patriot Front.
James Rodden, identified by the Observer last year as the operator of an account that routinely posted hateful statements, appeared to be back at work Tuesday.
A scheme to relocate the unhoused out of one Texas city's downtown sheds light on a larger right-wing takeover of federal homelessness policy.
Congressman Marc Veasey arrived at an ICE facility Monday in his latest attempt to follow up on the Observer's reporting.
In response to the Observer’s reporting, U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey demanded answers he has yet to fully receive—while ICE refuses to clarify the prosecutor’s current job status.
Following the Observer’s reporting, three U.S. House members have demanded accountability, while James Rodden still appeared on an ICE court schedule this week.
The Observer has identified the operator of “GlomarResponder,” an overtly racist social media account, as ICE Assistant Chief Counsel James Rodden, based on an overwhelming number of biographical details matched through publicly available documents, other social media activity, and courtroom observation.
Anonymity has long been a tactic used by extremists to spread their ideology while avoiding social consequences, from Klansmen hoods to online pseudonyms.