Why was Rob Potylo arrested? Comedian detained by ICE in Portland

Musician and comedian Rob Potylo, better known by his artist’s name Robby Roadsteamer, was detained by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers in Portland on October 14.

Potylo was arrested when he was protesting outside the ICE facility at Portland. According to Potylo, he has been charged with counts of trespassing and is due to appear in court soon.

According to Consequence, Potylo, who is known for singing comic protest songs, was outside the ICE facility in Portland, where he was singing with Portland Frog, who is a viral anti-ICE campaigner. Potylo had been singing verses directed at ICE’s targeting of illegal immigrants, such as,

“If you hate brown people and you are a Nazi.”

In a video of the incident posted to Potylo’s YouTube channel, the comedian, while dressed as a giraffe, can also be heard singing:

“It’s about peace and love, it’s about rock and roll, inspite of ICE.”

Storyful reported that Potylo and the other campaigners at the location were shot at with rubber bullets, following which they took a break. The protestors were also told by officers at the location to stay behind a blue line. Despite complying with the order, Potylo was taken by ICE agents. An onlooker named Sophia Showers Carew, as per Storyful, said:

“Almost immediately after the officer explained that to Robby and the other protesters, the facility gate opened, agents came out, targeted and detained Robby.”

In Potylo’s video, three agents in military fatigues grabbed Potylo and took him inside the facility as other protestors contended that the comedian “was just talking.”

Rob Potylo has set up a GoFundMe page to fund the legal costs stemming from the charges levelled at him

Rob Potylo, who is known for a brief appearance as a comedy singer on America's Got Talent’s Season 18, established a fundraiser after being briefly detained by ICE. A note on the website that shared insight into the incident stated:

“Robby Roadsteamer has been detained by ICE in Portland, Oregon after a peacekeeping trip to heal the divide with the city battling ICE illegally grabbing innocent people off the streets in Portland. He was singing with the Portland Frog when ICE started shooting pepper balls at him, then detained Robby.”

The GoFundMe page also shed light on the charges against Potylo, and added,

“Robby is being brought up on trespassing charges and asked to appear in court in Portland even though ICE dragged him onto their property! This is a battle for free speech! And Robby needs powerful lawyers. Anything you can give would be huge!”

As of the writing of this article, the fundraiser has collected more than $76,000. The fundraiser’s target is a total of $110,000.

The protest at Portland was not Potylo’s first campaign against ICE. Just a couple of days ago, Potylo posted clips of his comic campaign against the ICE’s office in Boston to his social media page.

In the video, Potylo criticized the tactics employed by ICE and sang,

“You make me live, whenever you come in your big mask, it’s you with no warrant…coming in at 3 in the morning. You’re my sunshine…I’m about no political violence, storming the Applebee’s afterwards.”

Apart from campaigning against the ICE, Potylo also posts videos where he sings to people supporting the MAGA movement.