The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the Portland Police Bureau, alleging potential “viewpoint discrimination” after a conservative journalist was arrested. Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, cited concerns in a letter to Portland City Attorney Robert Taylor and Police Chief Bob Day about the police response to incidents involving the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. The letter highlighted specific issues, including the arrest of a conservative journalist and alleged restrictions on ICE operations at the Portland facility.
Dhillon’s office demanded unredacted incident reports related to use-of-force cases, arrests, and communications with officers responding to protests at ICE facilities over the past 30 days, requesting the materials by October 10. The inquiry came as Portland lawyers faced legal challenges to block National Guard deployments to protect federal property. Dhillon emphasized the department’s failure to uphold First Amendment rights, stating, “Portland Police Department—the First Amendment is NOT optional!”
The investigation followed the arrest of Nick Sortor, a journalist and influencer, outside an ICE facility on Thursday. Sortor was released without bail, and his case gained attention after Dhillon’s letter was shared publicly. The DOJ also sought body camera footage and details about reported attacks on journalists in Portland. The city remains under a long-standing consent decree over alleged police misconduct.
