Federal Response to Reporter Assault in Minneapolis

A senior official from the Justice Department stated on Saturday that federal authorities are “responding” after a conservative news reporter was allegedly attacked while filming in Minneapolis.

Savana Hernandez, a reporter for Turning Point USA’s Frontline, posted videos showing a mob protesting against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) allegedly attacking her on Saturday. In one of her posts, she shared a photo of a man charged in relation to an earlier church incident in St. Paul. Harmeet K. Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, commented on Hernandez’s post, agreeing with accusations against William Scott Kelly about inciting violence from anti-ICE protesters. Kelly was indicted earlier this year on charges related to violating clinic access laws.

In another update, Hernandez mentioned on Sunday that the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office charged three individuals connected to her assault, and she reported experiencing headaches and shoulder pain.

Other conservative journalists have also faced violence while covering anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis. For instance, a Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) reporter was attacked on February 2 near a barricade that was later cleared by police. Additionally, independent journalists Cam Higbie and Nick Souter encountered a mob of rioters opposing ICE operations earlier in January. Reports indicate that violence was directed toward counter-protesters as well, who were in support of federal immigration enforcement.

Footage captured by a DCNF reporter on January 17 demonstrated anti-ICE mobs clashing with counter-protesters at an event organized by activist Jake Lang, which aimed to protest welfare fraud purportedly involving Somali immigrants, a situation federal authorities believe has cost taxpayers significantly.

The Justice Department, along with Hernandez and Dhillon, did not immediately respond to requests for further comments.