Federal authorities say they are investigating an alleged assault on Turning Point USA’s Frontlines reporter Savanah Hernandez during an anti-ICE protest outside Minneapolis’ Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office said four people were arrested in connection with incidents involving a journalist and a deputy.
Federal authorities have opened an investigation after conservative video reporter Savanah Hernandez said she was assaulted while filming an anti-ICE protest outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon signaled federal involvement in a social media post, indicating the FBI had opened an investigation into the reported assault. Hernandez, a contributor to Turning Point USA’s Frontlines project, posted video from the scene showing protesters crowding around her, blowing whistles and horns close to her face, and shoving her as she tried to move away.
Local authorities said arrests followed. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office said four people were arrested stemming from Saturday’s protest: three arrests were tied to the reported assault of a journalist and a deputy, and a fourth arrest involved an alleged gross-misdemeanor obstruction with force against a deputy.
Hernandez said she suffered minor injuries and later posted that her legs were scraped and that her neck and back were sore. In one post, she said she woke up with a headache and a stiff neck after being shoved to the ground.
The Daily Wire, citing the sheriff’s office as relayed to the Daily Caller, identified the three people it said were arrested in connection with the alleged assault on Hernandez as Chris Ostroushko, his daughter Paige Ostroushko, and Paige Ostroushko’s boyfriend, Lorenzo Garcia, 20. According to that account, Chris Ostroushko and Garcia were arrested on suspicion of obstruction with force, while Paige Ostroushko was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct.
Other outlets, including the Minnesota Star Tribune and Bring Me The News, reported that the sheriff’s office had not publicly released the names of those arrested as of the initial reports, and that potential charges included disorderly conduct and obstruction.
Hernandez appeared on Fox News’ "The Ingraham Angle" and described the incident as part of a series of confrontations she said she has experienced since the September 2025 assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. In that interview, she said she feared for her safety while reporting.
Former acting ICE director Tom Homan, described by the Trump administration as the White House’s “border czar,” also spoke about the episode on Fox News, urging that those responsible be prosecuted and saying, “We cannot accept this as a norm in the United States of America.”
The Whipple Federal Building, located near Fort Snelling, has been a focal point for recurring demonstrations related to ICE operations in the Twin Cities area. Authorities said the investigation into the reported assault remains ongoing.
