DOJ Signals Probe Into Brutal Assault of Conservative Journalist Filming Anti-ICE Riot
– The article reports that a top Justice Department official said the agency was “on it” after Turning Point USA Frontlines reporter Savanah Hernandez was apparently attacked while filming in Minneapolis during anti-ICE protests.
– Hernandez shared videos and photos of the incident, including an assailant whom she identified as William scott Kelly, a man charged earlier in connection with the storming of a church in the st.Paul area. Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, prompted a response on X, saying the DOJ was looking into the matter.
– The post references charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and conspiracy against rights related to the church incident, which was livestreamed by Don Lemon. the DHS and FBI were alerted as part of the investigation.
– The piece notes that other conservative journalists have been assaulted while covering anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis, including reporters from the Daily Caller news foundation (DCNF) and others such as Cam Higby and Nick Sortor. It mentions additional incidents of violence against counter-protesters and coverage of a separate protest tied to welfare fraud allegations involving Somali migrants.
– The article is published by the Daily Caller News Foundation and republished by The Western Journal,and it includes standard licensing and Disclaimer notes regarding DCNF content.
A top Justice Department official said Saturday the federal agency was “on it” after a reporter for a conservative news outlet was apparently attacked while filming footage in Minneapolis.
Turning Point USA’s “Frontlines” reporter Savanah Hernandez posted multiple videos of mob members opposed to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the Minneapolis area seemingly attacking her Saturday.
After Hernandez posted photos of one assailant — a man charged in connection with the storming of a St. Paul-area church — Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon responded in to the post on X.
“On it,” Dhillon said in response to Hernandez’s post, in which the TPUSA reporter accused William Scott Kelly of “inciting” the anti-ICE protesters to attack her. Kelly was indicted in January on charges of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (“FACE”) Act, in addition to conspiracy against rights after the Cities Church incident, which was livestreamed by former CNN host Don Lemon.
On it https://t.co/0BHOdStP91
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) April 11, 2026
Hernandez posted Sunday the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office was charging three people in connection with her apparent assault, reporting in a follow-up post she was suffering from a headache and stiff neck.
UPDATE
I’ve reached out to the FBI, DHS, and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office about Savanah Hernandez being assaulted.
DHS alerted their team nearby@HarmeetKDhillon is also looking into this as well. pic.twitter.com/GswX48VVVP
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) April 11, 2026
Other conservative journalists have been assaulted while covering anti-ICE riots in Minneapolis.
Notably, a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) was assaulted Feb. 2 by anti-ICE rioters near a makeshift roadblock, which Minneapolis police later cleared.
Independent journalists Cam Higby and Nick Sortor also survived a January attack by a mob of rioters opposed to ICE operations. Anti-ICE rioters also reportedly directed violence against counter protesters supporting the federal immigration enforcement operations.
Video taken Jan. 17 by DCNF reporter Jorge Ventura similarly shows anti-ICE rioters attacking a counter protester who attended an event sponsored by fringe activist Jake Lang.
The event was to protest welfare fraud allegedly perpetrated by Somali migrants, which federal officials estimated to have cost taxpayers at least $9 billion.
Neither Dhillon, Hernandez, nor the Justice Department immediately responded to requests for comment from the DCNF.
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