The Justice Department is investigating the Portland Police Department for possible “viewpoint discrimination” days after the arrest of a conservative journalist.

“We write regarding Portland Police Bureau’s (PPB) response to incidents surrounding the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland and, specifically, the City of Portland’s use of its policing powers in a manner that may be based on viewpoint discrimination,” a letter shared by Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, read.

“Portland: Signed, sealed, delivered!” Dhillon said.

Fox News has more:

In a letter dated Friday to Portland City Attorney Robert Taylor and Police Chief Bob Day, Dhillon cited concerns about the police response to several incidents, including the arrest of a conservative journalist and police actions allegedly limiting the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) use of its Portland facility.

Dhillon’s office requested unredacted incident reports related to the use of force, arrests and other actions and communications regarding directions given to police officers responding to protests at ICE facilities within the past 30 days.

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Dhillon requested that her office be provided the materials no later than Oct. 10.

The city received the inquiry while its lawyers were in court attempting to stop the deployment of National Guard troops to help protect federal property.

“Portland Police Department—the First Amendment is NOT optional! Furlough notwithstanding, @CivilRights Division has entered the chat. We will hold Portland accountable for its bad police practices!” Dhillon said.

The Hill shared further info:

In a separate post, Dhillon said she spoke with Nick Sortor, the influencer who was arrested outside an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility on Thursday. She also said she talked to Attorney General Pam Bondi “about what is happened in Portland and the urgent need for a federal civil rights investigation over there.”

“Portland is already under a failed consent decree for its failed police practices,” Dhillon said. “It has been for over a decade now.”

Sortor was among three people arrested outside an ICE facility on Thursday. He was released on his own recognizance, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office. Following the news from DOJ, he shared a copy of Dhillon’s letter on X.

“Harmeet is wasting NO TIME holding Portland accountable!” Sortor posted Friday night.

The government has requested body camera footage and “details about why multiple journalists have been attacked there in Portland and the police seemed to do nothing about it,” wrote in the Friday letter.

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