Portland Police arrested conservative journalist Nick Sortor Thursday night while he was covering anti-ICE protests outside a federal facility, prompting the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into the city’s handling of the incident.
The 27-year-old reporter, who frequently covers protests and political unrest, said he was “being jumped by Antifa thugs” and tried to move toward officers for safety when he was unexpectedly taken into custody. Sortor was one of three people arrested during the clashes and charged with disorderly conduct before being released hours later.
“This was as big of a surprise to me as it was to everybody else,” Sortor told Fox News. “All of a sudden, you know, I’m being jumped by Antifa thugs. I stumble away and go back toward cops where I think it’ll be safer, and then never suspected that I was going to be the target of the arrest.”
Sortor said police didn’t immediately tell him why he was being detained. “When they put me into handcuffs, the first thing that went to my mind wasn’t, ‘Oh, you’re being arrested.’ It’s, ‘Oh, they’re trying to help you and get you out of here and make it look like they’re doing something.’ They weren’t telling me what they were doing. It took over an hour for me to find out what I was charged with.”
Following his release, Sortor announced on X that Attorney General Pam Bondi had personally called him to say she had ordered a federal investigation. The probe will be led by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.
“You made a big freaking mistake,” Sortor wrote. “You PROVED what we’ve all been saying for years: you’re corrupt and controlled by Antifa thugs who terrorize the streets. You thought arresting me would make me shut up and go away. You couldn’t have been more wrong.”
Portland Police defended their response in a statement, saying officers first responded at 8:09 p.m. after observing “two men fighting near the ICE building driveway.” Both were briefly detained and released. As the night wore on, more clashes broke out. At 11:16 p.m., three individuals — including Sortor — were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
President Donald Trump, who last month deployed troops to Portland to protect ICE facilities, weighed in on the unrest. “At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to provide all necessary Troops to protect war-ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa and other domestic terrorists,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary.”
Oregon leaders have resisted the federal deployment. Governor Tina Kotek insisted the military presence was unnecessary, calling it “unlawful” and warning it would “make Oregonians less safe.”
The standoff between local leaders and the Trump administration now deepens with the Justice Department stepping in — and with Portland once again at the center of the national debate over policing, protests, and political violence.
The post Portland Police Arrest Conservative Journalist During Anti-ICE Protest, Sparking DOJ Investigation appeared first on Real News Now.
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