Sortor posted Friday morning about his arrest on social media, telling PPB to “lawyer up.” The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into his arrest.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Nick Sortor, a conservative influencer who has been posting videos to social media of clashes outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in South Portland, was arrested late Thursday night during a protest outside the facility, police said.

Sortor was among three people arrested by the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) for second-degree disorderly conduct, after police said officers saw multiple fights break out. Sortor was released from jail Friday morning.

The conservative influencer made multiple social media posts Friday morning about the arrest, in which he accused PPB of corruption, saying they’re controlled by antifa. He also warned PPB to “lawyer up.”

Sortor said in a post that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi called him personally Friday morning to say that she had ordered a full investigation, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, into the Portland Police Bureau and Sortor’s arrest.

Dhillon quote-tweeted Sortor’s post with the message: “Portland: it’s FO time. Buckle up.” FO means “find out,” a shorter version of the acronym FAFO, which stands for “f— around, find out”.

During a Friday press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Sortor’s claim, saying the Department of Justice called him on Friday morning and that the DOJ “will be launching a full investigation into his arrest.”

PPB made a series of posts later Friday morning on X about Thursday night’s arrests, saying the arrests were not based on anyone’s “political affiliation or public profile.”

“Among those arrested was an individual known to have a significant social media presence, as well as others representing a range of political viewpoints,” PPB said. “As with all such situations, arrests are based on observed behavior and probable cause — not political affiliation or public profile. Formal charges will be determined by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.”

Before Sortor’s arrest, a small group of people gathered outside the ICE facility on Thursday evening. The protest stayed relatively peaceful and calm until an apparent agitator appeared to get in the faces of some of the demonstrators, a KGW crew observed. Shortly after, federal agents were seen detaining three people.

According to a news release from Portland police, two people were detained by federal officers. At 8:09 p.m., two men started fighting near the driveway of the ICE facility. The fight ended when one man was knocked to the ground. Police said he didn’t lose consciousness or request medical help. Both of the men were detained by federal officers and later released.

At another point Thursday night, as federal officers pushed back the crowd to allow several vehicles to exit the facility, KGW was told one person in the crowd was sprayed in the eyes with mace.

At 11:16 p.m., Portland police officers made three arrests, including Sortor, after more fights broke out at the ICE facility, police said. All three were booked into the Multnomah County Jail on second-degree disorderly conduct charges. As of Friday morning, at least two of the three people who were arrested had been released, according to the jail’s roster.


Timeline of Portland protests and Trump’s National Guard deployments

Oct. 2: Ahead of the first hearing in Rayfield’s lawsuit, the Trump administration requests Judge Michael Simon recuse himself because Simon is married to Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, who has publicly expressed opposition to the troop deployment. Later, after Simon recuses himself, the case is randomly reassigned to Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee and the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. She spent a decade as a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge. Later that night, three people are arrested, including a conservative influencer, and two detained after multiple fights break out during a protest at the Portland ICE facility. 

Oct. 1: Trump announces on social media that National Guard troops are “now in place” in Portland, though none can be seen around the ICE building. Sen. Jeff Merkley says the 200 National Guard members are currently training at Camp Rilea before being deployed to Portland. DHS issues a statement describing a large and violent protest at the ICE facility the night before, which is largely contradicted by KGW’s reporting on the ground. 

Sept. 30: Speaking to a nigh-unprecedented assembly of top U.S. military officers in Quantico, Va., Trump says that “America is under invasion from within,” and that he wants to use “dangerous” American cities run by Democrats as “training grounds” for the armed forces. 

Sept. 29: The Oregon Military Department tells media members that National Guard units will deploy in Portland later in the week. The Oregon AG files for a temporary restraining order to block federalization of those guard troops, with a hearing likewise set for later in the week. A coalition of 17 Oregon mayors join a growing chorus of opposition in the state to Trump’s troop deployment. 

Sept. 28: In comments to NBC, Trump briefly appears to waver on the issue of troop deployments. However, documents show that he and his administration quickly follow through on the threat, federalizing 200 Oregon National Guard Troops. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield files a lawsuit fighting the guard activation. Text messages show the rapid breakdown of communication between Kotek and Trump after a promising start. 

Sept. 27: On social media, Trump says he’s deploying troops to Portland, “authorizing Full Force, if necessary.” He cites threats to ICE facilities from “Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.” Gov. Tina Kotek speaks with Trump and other top administration officials, telling them that they have inaccurate information and that Oregon does not need military intervention. 

Sept. 26: In an impromptu press conference with other local and state leaders, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson acknowledges reports of an influx of federal law enforcement agents into the city — the details unknown, beyond sightings of SUV convoys, circling helicopters and armored vehicles. Speakers uniformly urge Portlanders not to “take the bait” and to remain peaceful. 

Sept. 25: Members of Oregon’s congressional delegation tour the Portland ICE facility. In comments to the press, lawmakers say that ICE officials were evasive or outright dishonest about their tactics when asked. They also push back on Trump’s characterization of Portland as a violent and destroyed place. 

Aug. 29 – Sept. 25: Trump begins including Portland on a short list of cities he’s considering for National Guard deployments, ostensibly to combat crime. Over the next few weeks, he repeatedly mentions Portland without prompting, saying that life in the city is like “living in hell,” that people there have been going “out of control and crazy” for years, and that protestors “burn the place down” every night. 

Aug. 20 – Aug. 28: Trump border czar Tom Homan makes an unannounced visit to the Portland ICE facility. A week later, in a press conference focused on the administration’s threats to deploy federal law enforcement to Chicago, Homan teases a similar “ramp-up” in Portland and other U.S. “sanctuary cities.” 

Aug. 11: Trump federalizes the Metropolitan Police in Washington, D.C. and deploys National Guard troops, also sending federal law enforcement officers out to patrol the streets, claiming that the city has been “overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs, and homeless people.” 

June 14: Thousands of people march in Portland amid nationwide “No Kings” protests against the Trump administration. Following the peaceful protest, a smaller group gathers outside the Portland ICE facility where police eventually declare a riot after clashes between demonstrators and federal law enforcement. Further clashes occur within the following days, but become less significant over weeks and months. Protestors outside the ICE facility rarely number more than a couple dozen, but demonstrations continue with regularity. 

June 7: President Donald Trump federalizes 2,000 California National Guard troops amid protests in Los Angeles against the administration’s ramp-up of immigration raids. The administration also brings in several hundred Marines. 

June 3: Masked agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest a transgender asylum seeker outside a federal courtroom after she appears for a scheduled asylum hearing. She’s taken to the ICE facility on Portland’s South Waterfront, processed and shipped up to an ICE detention center in Tacoma, Wash. It’s the first known instance of ICE making a courthouse arrest in Portland, as the agency begins delivering on a Trump campaign promise of mass deportations. More arrests follow.