Attorney General Pam Bondi has ordered a full investigation into the Portland Police Bureau following the arrest of conservative journalist Nick Sotor outside an ICE facility in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday night. Officers detained Sotor for no apparent reason, prompting widespread criticism. The probe is being led by Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon.
The Department of Homeland Security is reportedly deploying additional federal resources to Portland, while the Department of War has been instructed to send “all necessary troops” to address what officials describe as “the radical left’s reign of terror” in the city.
Sotor was covering a far-left occupation near the ICE facility when he rescued an American flag that had been set ablaze. Fox News journalist Bill Melugin, who witnessed the incident, described how Sotor extinguished the flames and retrieved the flag before being confronted by antifa agitators. “They surrounded him and verbally threatened him shortly before his arrest,” Melugin said on X.
After being released from custody, Sotor told Melugin he was charged with disorderly conduct. He claimed the arrest was a “mistake” and predicted it would “backfire on them tremendously.” Sotor alleged that antifa agitators had assaulted him, broken his camera, and that Portland police ignored his pleas for help before arresting him.
The incident follows another attack on Post Millennial reporter Katie Daviscourt, who was struck in the face with a flagpole by an antifa agitator earlier in the week. Portland Police failed to arrest the suspect, allowing them to flee to an “antifa safehouse.” Sotor accused local authorities of siding with violent groups, stating, “They just proved the point that all of us have been saying.”
Dhillon demanded documents from Portland officials regarding Sotor’s arrest and their refusal to prosecute Daviscourt’s attacker. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated President Trump’s stance, vowing to deploy troops to “protect ICE facilities under siege” and threatening to cut federal aid to Portland. She condemned the “radical left’s reign of terror,” citing violent protests, assaults on officers, and acts like a guillotine being rolled out at the site.
Sotor later tweeted: “You made a big freaking mistake… You’re CORRUPT and CONTROLLED by violent Antifa thugs.” Dhillon echoed the sentiment, urging Portland to “buckle up” as the investigation intensifies.
The Portland Police Bureau released a statement emphasizing that arrests are based on observed behavior, not political affiliation, and reaffirming their commitment to impartial law enforcement.
