Portland braces for federal troops as protests escalate and a conservative influencer is arrested
October 3, 2025
Five years after protests roiled Portland, Oregon, the city known for civil disobedience is again at the center of a political maelstrom as it braces for the arrival of federal troops promised by President Donald Trump. The arrest of conservative influencer Nick Sortor by Portland police late Thursday at a protest is escalating tensions. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says she will send additional federal agents to Portland, and the Justice Department is launching a civil rights investigation into his arrest. A federal judge is also expected to rule on whether to block 200 National Guard members from deploying there.