NOTE: X-post of arrests at the end of the article.
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced federal charges against four additional individuals connected to Antifa for their alleged roles in a series of criminal acts targeting a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in South Portland, Oregon. The charges come as part of an ongoing investigation into a month-long occupation outside the ICE office, which has now resulted in at least 17 federal charges.
The latest defendants—Nadya Sofia Malinowska, David Pearl, Trenten Edward Barker, and August Dean Gordon—face a range of charges including felony arson, assaulting federal officers, vandalism, and disobeying lawful orders. The Justice Department stated that these arrests are the result of escalating violence and targeted attacks on federal property and personnel.
Malinowska, 33, a Portland resident and local musician affiliated with the band “Moth Kit,” was charged with three counts of failing to obey lawful orders. Born Marek Greger Belka, she legally changed her gender and name in May 2023 and identifies as transgender. Court documents indicate that Malinowska defied federal orders to vacate the ICE facility grounds on three separate dates—June 17, June 21, and June 29—the day she was arrested and taken into custody.
Also arrested was 35-year-old David Pearl, who faces charges of failing to obey a lawful order and creating a disturbance. Pearl allegedly intervened during Malinowska’s arrest, attempting to obstruct federal officers in the process. He was detained the same evening.
Trenten Edward Barker, 34, who identifies as trans nonbinary, has been charged with felony arson and depredation of federal property. Authorities accuse Barker of setting fire to the ICE building—a facility located near an elementary school—raising concerns about public safety and federal infrastructure protection.
August Dean Gordon, 31, of Beaverton, Oregon, faces some of the most serious charges to date. According to the DOJ, Gordon violently attacked five federal officers during his arrest on June 29. The affidavit alleges that Gordon kicked agents, grabbed their genitals, and caused injuries that left at least one officer bloodied.
Federal prosecutors say that more than 20 people have been arrested in connection with the ongoing Antifa occupation. Alleged crimes include using high-powered lasers to temporarily blind officers, setting fires near the ICE office, and even trapping federal employees inside the facility with barricade-like devices.
The DOJ continues to investigate the protests and warns that additional charges may follow. The situation has reignited debates about the nature of Antifa’s activism, public safety, and the limits of protest in federal spaces.
