Target Under Pressure To Take A Stand Against ICE
Target is once again the target of public ire, as Minnesotans are demanding that the company take a stand against ICE.
You might be wondering why Target, of all companies, is being asked to say something. That’s because, according to the New York Times, the retailer’s headquarters are located in Minneapolis. Target has remained relatively silent about ICE’s activities in the city, despite a video going viral showing one of its employees being arrested while screaming, “I’m a U.S. citizen!”
This lack of response has led to sit-ins at dozens of Target stores, both within Minneapolis and throughout the nation. A group of 100 people protested outside a Target near the University of Minnesota on Friday, and on Saturday, the volunteer group Indivisible Twin Cities organized a sit-in with over 50 people at Target’s flagship store in downtown Minneapolis.
CBS News reports that American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten released a statement addressed to Target’s new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, on Saturday.
“The AFT is deeply concerned about the company’s silence on ICE’s continuing operations in Minneapolis following ICE and Border Patrol agents’ murders of two Minneapolis residents,” Weingarten wrote. “As a company that employs 34,000 Minnesotans, many in critical headquarters positions, Target has deep roots in the Twin Cities and benefits substantially from a favorable relationship with that community.”
Fiddelke’s response to ICE’s reign of terror throughout Minnesota has been muted. Fiddelke signed onto an open letter calling for “an immediate de-escalation of tensions” in Minnesota, but the letter didn’t criticize ICE nor condemn the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents. I honestly think the statement is just as bad as complete silence. By staying neutral in the face of state-sanctioned violence against U.S. citizens, they are effectively siding with the federal government. I don’t think I’m alone in feeling like there is no middle ground with this issue anymore.
No company has taken more self-inflicted L’s during the second Trump presidency than Target.
The company announced it would be canceling its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives literally within a week of President Donald Trump taking office. That decision spurred an ongoing boycott against the company, with its sales and in-store foot traffic falling throughout 2025.
It is honestly somewhat surprising that the company hasn’t said anything about ICE, given that Target has shown that its politics boil down to whatever is politically expedient at the time. When it was profitable to appear “woke,” Target introduced several DEI initiatives and had prominent displays in its stores for Black History Month and Pride Month. Yet as soon as it looked like the tides were turning, Target did a complete about-face.
More and more Americans are disapproving of how ICE has been operating, with abolishing ICE becoming an increasingly moderate position. Target could’ve given itself an easy dub by speaking out against the state terrorist organization that has been causing chaos in its home city. Instead, the company has once again shown that it’s more committed to losing money than taking a stand.
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