In Minnesota, a tense encounter unfolded as anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demonstrators confronted conservative influencer Nick Sortor on Sunday. The protesters surrounded Sortor’s vehicle, hurling expletives and shouting at him, creating a chaotic scene.
Sortor, visibly shaken, recounted the incident in a video uploaded to social media platform X. He mentioned that the protesters had smashed his car windows, prompting him to hastily leave the area. “They then used vehicles to block us as we were trying to escape, forcing me to drive off the road to evade them,” he explained in his post.
As the dramatic events unfolded, Sortor claimed that another vehicle pursued him down the interstate, escalating the tension. The incident was further documented by images showing his damaged vehicle, spray-painted with graffiti on the rear window, which Sortor shared with his followers online.
Captured in a photograph, the aftermath of the confrontation is evident, with Sortor’s vehicle bearing the marks of the encounter. The conservative influencer’s account of being chased and obstructed by the demonstrators highlights the heightened emotions and volatility surrounding the issue of immigration enforcement.
A vehicle belonging to conservative influencer Nick Sortor is seen after he said it was swarmed and damaged by anti-ICE demonstrators on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minnesota. (X/@nicksortor)
In another video posted to social media, Sortor shows his truck’s rear window bearing white spray-painted graffiti.
He then takes out frozen water bottles from the bed of the truck that he says were used by protesters.
Sortor alleged that protesters repeatedly threatened to kill him and fellow influencer Cam Higby during the encounter, but said both were safe and thanked officers with the Eagan Police Department for their help.
Federal agents shoot pepper balls at protesters outside an ICE facility during a demonstration in Minneapolis, Jan. 11, 2026. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“They protected me when vioIent rioters were after us,” Sortor added.
Protesters in multiple cities, including Los Angeles, Portland and New York, have taken to the streets in recent days after an ICE officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good on Wednesday.
The Department of Homeland Security alleges that Good “weaponized her vehicle” and “attempted to run a law enforcement officer over.”
Video of the shooting has become a political flashpoint, with some saying it supports the government’s position that the agent acted in self-defense, and others saying the footage calls into question DHS’ explanation and raises broader concerns about the use of force by ICE officers.
The shooting remains under federal investigation.
