Felony charges for local activist called ‘excessive’

Federal prosecutors have charged 27-year-old Indigenous poet and activist Isabella Lopez with assaulting federal agents and obstructing operations during a June 3 raid on a Lake Street restaurant, sparking criticism from supporters who call the charges politically motivated and excessive.

Lopez, known for her involvement in Anti-ICE, Black Lives Matter, and pro-Palestinian movements, is accused of punching a federal agent in the head. Outside the Federal Courthouse last Monday, she addressed supporters about the broader implications of her arrest. “They take up a lot of people that look like me and they put them in cages, whether it be prisons, whether it be detention centers,” Lopez said. “It is the limiting of life. It’s the fact that we do not have the permission to grow and that is a violation to life itself.”

Lopez’s attorney, Jordan Kushner, called the federal charges “a political decision.” He said federal authorities have closely monitored activists and that Lopez’s case mirrors a national trend in which activists face felony charges for actions that often result in misdemeanors.

“Isa was charged at the federal level to send a message,” Kushner said. “The U.S. Attorney here wants to make it look like they’re making some independent decision. They’re part of the Trump program.” He noted that Lopez has been monitored through social media and that agents have been assigned specifically to her case.

Lopez’s September 29 pretrial hearing was canceled by a magistrate judge, despite an agreement between Kushner and prosecutors. Kushner suggested the cancellation was intended to minimize political attention. “They don’t want people packing the courtroom, and that’s why we have to do that,” he said.

Several community leaders expressed support for Lopez, recognizing her contributions to Indigenous and cultural activism. Crow Bellecourt highlighted the historical context of the land. “I want to recognize our Dakota relatives who were on traditional homelands right here, right now, and no one is illegal on stolen Dakota land,” he said.

Samuel Torres of Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli, an Indigenous Aztec cultural and spiritual organization, praised Lopez’s work at the Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center. “When Issa walked through the doors…we saw the passion. We saw the fire,” he said.

Minneapolis Federation of Teachers Union President Marcia Howard recalled prior federal actions in the community. “On June 3, 2021, they forcibly reopened the square, and we still stayed. But on June 3, 2025, they came onto Lake Street and did an operation,” she said.

Lopez was arrested on Lake Street carrying only her cell phone and a list of 25 demands related to George Floyd Square. Her trial is scheduled for November 24.

Observers note that federal prosecution of Lopez aligns with a broader pattern in which certain cases are elevated from misdemeanors to felonies. Critics point to former President Donald Trump and former Attorney General Pam Bondi for using the Justice Department against political opponents, while Trump has also criticized Democratic officials for similar actions.

In 2022, Trump described the Justice Department as “vicious monsters, controlled by radical-left scoundrels, lawyers and the media, who tell them what to do,” and has since sued Minneapolis and St. Paul over ordinances limiting police cooperation with ICE.

Lopez’s case echoes other incidents in which activists faced federal charges for minor actions. In Washington, D.C., a former Department of Justice employee was charged after allegedly throwing a Subway sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection officer. In New Jersey, Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) faced assault and resisting law enforcement charges after a May 9 protest at an ICE detention center.

Supporters say Lopez’s prosecution threatens to chill civic engagement and drive vulnerable communities further into the shadows. “This is about more than politics—it’s about people’s lives,” said one Minneapolis community organizer. “When families fear that any contact with police could lead to deportation, it makes everyone less safe.”

Federal authorities have argued that Lopez’s actions endangered law enforcement and obstructed official operations. Legal experts note, however, that the escalation to felony charges in cases involving activists has been increasingly common in politically sensitive matters.

As the November trial approaches, Lopez and her legal team maintain that the case represents an overreach of federal power targeting a local activist for her advocacy. Kushner said, “This is not just about Isa. It’s about holding the government accountable when it seeks to criminalize dissent.”

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