Independent journalists Nick Sortor and Cam Higby escaped an attack by a mob while attempting to cover protests against immigration enforcement operations in the Minneapolis area Sunday.
Protests against the operations led by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement escalated after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good while carrying out an enforcement operation in Minneapolis Wednesday, prompting angry reactions from Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis.
Sortor and Higby posted videos of the mob’s attack, which was allegedly incited by a left-wing streamer, on X.
“These are the moments leading up to Minneapolis anti-ICE rioters SURROUNDING my vehicle, smashing my windows, and attempting to kill @CamHigby and me,” Sortor posted.
“I was forced to drive away to save our lives, repeatedly warning those standing in front to GET OUT OF THE WAY. They didn’t listen, so I had no choice but to go anyway.
“They then used vehicles to BLOCK US as we were running, forcing me to throw the truck off the road to go around them.”
WARNING: The following videos contain imagery and vulgar language that some may find offensive.
🚨 BREAKING: These are the moments leading up to Minneapolis anti-ICE rioters SURROUNDING my vehicle, smashing my windows, and attempting to kiII @CamHigby and me
I was forced to drive away to save our lives, repeatedly warning those standing in front to GET OUT OF THE WAY.… pic.twitter.com/lzPyuJWUFx
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 12, 2026
“This is the moment @nicksortor was forced to drive away as a mob SURROUNDED his vehicle, smashed the windows, and spray painted the car,” Higby posted.
“Rioters have now told @MinneapolisPD that we have guns. The rioters repeatedly threatened to [kill] us.”
Higby later posted a video showing the frozen water bottles that he said were thrown at their truck, breaking the back window.
“They should be arrested for attempted [f***ing] murder,” Sortor posted on X. “They beamed frozen water bottles through the windows, and if one of us would’ve been struck, we could’ve easily been [killed.]
“This was planned. But luckily, I drove away, so they beamed them through the back window instead.”
🚨 This is the moment @nicksortor was forced to drive away as a mob SURROUNDED his vehicle, smashed the windows, and spray painted the car.
Rioters have now told @MinneapolisPD that we have guns. The rioters repeatedly threatened to kill us. pic.twitter.com/Rz1xzzklql
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) January 12, 2026
Sortor was attacked by anti-ICE rioters while covering the violent protests at an ICE facility in Portland, Oregon, in October, yet he was the one arrested by Portland Police Bureau officers on a disorderly conduct charge, according to multiple posts on X.
Sortor expressed concern that he could be unjustly imprisoned in Minnesota.
“The problem is we’re in Tim Walz’s Minnesota and every minute we’re here [increases] the risk he’s going to take us as political prisoners,” Sortor posted.
Sortor also said he believed Walz would “rather us just die” instead of taking action to stop the rioters.
Investigative journalist Andy Ngo, who had previously been attacked and beaten by Antifa in June 2019, posted on X that left-wing streamer Andrew Mercado “sicced a mob” on Sortor and Higby.
Ngo posted a video of Mercado declaring his intention to stalk independent journalists like Sortor, Higby, and Nick Shirley, who he claimed were “propagandists.”
“They will have security, but security will have to earn their paycheck,” Mercado said in the video.
Mercado later posted an apology, claiming he “lost my cool” over the incident where Good was killed.
“Lawyer up, dumbf***,” Sortor said in a reply to Mercado’s post.
Sortor also vowed the incident would not keep him from reporting on the anti-ICE riots.
One of the things you leftist militants refuse to understand is the more you harass, threaten, and try to kiII me, the longer I stay around.
Ask Portland how arresting me went. Their riots outside the ICE facility never recovered.
You picked a fight with the wrong guy tonight.
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 12, 2026
“One of the things you leftist militants refuse to understand is the more you harass, threaten, and try to [kill] me, the longer I stay around. Ask Portland how arresting me went. Their riots outside the ICE facility never recovered. You picked a fight with the wrong guy tonight.”
Walz did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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