The Justice Department has announced a federal investigation into an assault that allegedly took place during an anti-ICE protest in Minneapolis over the weekend, after video footage of the incident circulated widely online.
The footage appears to show Turning Point USA contributor Savanah Hernandez being knocked to the ground while covering the protest on Saturday. Hernandez said she suffered injuries to her neck, leg, and back. “I’m terrified to do my job,” she told Fox News on Monday. “I can’t even interview people properly on the street because I got brutally assaulted and pushed to the ground by a 250-pound man by simply going and reporting on anti-ICE activities.” She confirmed she intends to press charges.
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that four people have been arrested, three of them in connection with the alleged assault. The identities of all four have not been publicly released. Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon confirmed the federal investigation in a social media post.
Independent journalist Andy Ngo, who said he has been attacked by suspected Antifa mobs on multiple occasions, said the footage was difficult to watch given his personal acquaintance with Hernandez. “She’s a very strong person and she had nobody with her and she stood up for herself even though she was knocked to the ground and threatened,” Ngo said. He described the DOJ’s swift response as encouraging.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said he believes charges will be filed based on the information released so far. “These are the types of cases we are seeing more and more go to trial because they’re not typically prosecuted at the federal level and the defendants aren’t going to take any deal because they’re not going to agree to prison time,” Rahmani said.
Several Republican lawmakers issued public responses to the video, with Senator Mike Lee of Utah writing on X: “When will the left condemn this violence against a woman who posed no threat?”
