Brave journalists and media professionals are not scared to convey their opinions out loud and proud. For instance, Independent journalist Nick Sortor, based in Washington, D.C., announced on December 8 he’s suing Portland for $10 million, arguing that his arrest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in October was unlawful and was a politically planned move.
The resident of the Capital city has reportedly filed a tort claim, which is a step that comes when an individual wishes to file a lawsuit. It is basically one person claiming that another has caused them harm. Sortor says that the Portland police violated his civil rights during his October 2 arrest.
As per sources, the man spoke to Fox News host Laura Ingraham that his case exemplifies what he calls a broader pattern in left-leaning cities: “ordering their police departments to go after people like me and, in Portland’s case, leave the leftist protesters alone.”
BREAKING NEWS – Nick Sortor GOES NUCLEAR: Files $10M federal suit, says Portland cops arrested him “for being conservative”
“In Portland, I was arrested because I was a CONSERVATIVE trying to cover the ICE riots.”
“Since I was arrested in Portland – just today, we served them… pic.twitter.com/7NQjlb8Uik
— SOAP (@CancelSOAP) December 9, 2025
According to Nick Sorter, he was simply protesting against the brutal immigration raids outside the headquarters, where a massive protest took place. People who were present at the scene claimed that some protesters maltreated Nick as they shoved an umbrella at him and swung a stick towards his direction, and tried to silence him.
Although the police arrested him, he was not charged with a crime, since prosecutors ultimately determined that Nick Sortor acted in self-defense and declined to charge him. Instead, two protesters named Son Yi and Angella Davis were charged with disorderly conduct. The case became a prime reason for unrest.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division sent a letter to Portland officials expressing concern that Sortor’s arrest might constitute “viewpoint discrimination” against conservatives. Citizens were fuming with anger as they believed the arrest was politically motivated since Sortor was a “right-wing supporter.”
Independent journalist Nick Sortor is taking the fight directly to Portland after announcing a massive $10 million federal civil rights lawsuit. In a primetime appearance on Fox News, Sortor explained why he believes the city targeted him, violated his rights, and crossed pic.twitter.com/to57Z88ScH
— Daily Beltway (@DailyBeltway) December 9, 2025
Nick Sortor’s attorney, Angus Lee, said that the charges they are seeking are due to ICE officers’ failing to arrest protestors who were attacking him outside of the facility before his arrest. The entire case is filed based on the authorities being biased and unbothered.
“This wrongful arrest was not just a mistake,” said Lee. “It was the product of a deeply embedded culture of political discrimination in Portland law enforcement.” Portland is a predominantly Democratic city with a largely white population
According to The Guardian, since 2016, Portland has grabbed headlines due to its political violence. Incidents include a 2017 double murder linked to white supremacy, riots involving far-right groups and anti-fascists, etc.
Moreover, incidents involving journalists, such as the assault of conservative writer Andy Ngo during a protest in June, have reignited debates on the efficiency of the government. Portland’s mayor, Ted Wheeler, still insists that the city’s reputation as a trending place for craft breweries and cafes remains intact despite the reports of brutality. “The impression people get these days is that everywhere you go in Portland, violence is breaking out all over the place”.
EXCLUSIVE — A review of arrests and political affiliations at the Portland ICE protests in 2025 shows sharp patterns in behavior by ideology.
The arrest records are not balanced. Most people arrested at the protests this year were aligned with the political left, and they were… pic.twitter.com/L5p9lLXXl4
— oceanplot (@oceanplot) December 10, 2025
That couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said. Furthermore, on October 18, 2025, people were gathered dressed in inflatable frog and dinosaur costumes with bold placards like “Democracy not monarchy,” for a “No Kings Protest.”
In Portland, about 500 people gathered in front of the ICE headquarters, which has been a site of protest since June 2025. Thanks to Trump’s immigration raids, leading to abrupt detention, followed by alleged cases of abuse and violence.
“No Kings protest” is a large protest against a one-leader or dictator or authoritarian rule, a leadership style that Trump and the Grand Old Party (GOP) have been accused of trying to follow.
