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Employers in Minnesota have stepped into the volatile dispute over ICE immigration activity in the state, with chief executives calling for “an immediate de-escalation of tensions” after pressure from worker and community groups.
Some of the area's biggest companies have been under increasing scrutiny as labor groups and community organizations demand a strong stance against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota.
Workers have been pressing employers to act following the death of Renee Good, who was killed by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis, and the more recent killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Veterans Affairs Hospital ICU nurse, which intensified calls from labor unions against ICE.
“ICE continues to make everyone less safe, and Minnesota’s Labor Movement repeats and amplifies our call for them to leave our state immediately,” said Bernie Burnham, Minnesota AFL-CIO President.
Organizers pushed a Day of Truth & Freedom campaign with a call for “no work, no shopping and no school” and targeted prominent employers including Target, Home Depot, Enterprise, Delta Airlines and Hilton.
Target faced direct pressure from hundreds of workers and community groups. “It’s so sad to see Target so silent,” said Sheletta Brundidge, an activist in Minneapolis. She questioned whether the company had acknowledged the community’s grief or engaged with local residents. “Silence says something. Silence doesn’t mean I don’t know what to say. Silence says I don’t give a damn,” she said.
Hilton also faced scrutiny after a Hampton Inn cancelled an ICE reservation, then removed the hotel from its network. When two other properties later closed amid bomb threats, CEO Chris Nassetta said, “A safety and security issue is a different issue - it’s closed to all.”
Business leaders break their silence
On Sunday, in what seems like a direct response, more than 60 leading Minnesota employers issued a joint letter calling for restraint in the state after ICE fatally shot 37-year-old Pretti while he was being restrained on a Minneapolis sidewalk.
“With yesterday’s tragic news, we are calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions,” the letter stated.
Signatories included senior executives at Target, Best Buy, General Mills, Cargill, Land O’ Lakes, Hormel, US Bancorp, Mayo Clinic and 3M, as well as local sports teams such as the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Wild. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce shared the letter.
The co-ordinated statement marked a rare intervention, with executives generally avoiding political issues despite pressure from labor groups and protests that had shut hundreds of smaller businesses in Minneapolis.
