Portland Prosecutors Drop Disorderly Conduct Charges Against Conservative Activist Nick Sortor After ICE Protest Arrest

Conservative influencer Nick Sortor was arrested during a protest outside a Portland Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility but had the misdemeanor charge of second-degree disorderly conduct dropped after prosecutors reviewed evidence and determined the case could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Sortor maintains he was simply filming the demonstrations and was attacked by counterprotesters, an account supported by police reports indicating he acted defensively amid confrontations. The Multnomah County District Attorney emphasized that free speech does not protect criminal acts regardless of ideology but found insufficient evidence to pursue charges against Sortor, while two others arrested remain charged. The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the circumstances of Sortor's arrest amid wider tensions involving federal deployments of National Guard troops to Portland and other cities. Sortor's legal team suggested their demand for discovery, including potential coordination between Portland police and Antifa, influenced the decision to drop charges. The incident has drawn attention from the Trump administration and highlighted ongoing disputes over law enforcement and protest dynamics in Portland.