Target Faces Renewed Boycott Pressure in Minneapolis Over ICE Arrests
While thousands of protesters marched through downtown Minneapolis demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents leave the city, a focused group of activists targeted the national retailer Target's headquarters. Dozens of clergy members and supporters staged a sit-in in the store's atrium, chanting slogans such as "Say it loud and say it clear, immigrants are welcome here" and "Something 'bout this isn't right – why does Target work for ICE?" This action is part of a renewed movement to boycott Target over immigration enforcement occurring on its premises and in its hometown.
Activists Demand Corporate Accountability
Grant Stevensen, a Lutheran pastor in Minneapolis who organised the protest with immigrant-led group Unidos, emphasised Target's community image. "You can't walk into a Target store here without seeing how they position themselves as being for the health and wellbeing of the community," he said. "So we need Target to stand up where it really matters right now." Calls for a boycott intensified recently after an incident on 8 January, when masked ICE agents forcefully detained two workers at a Target store in Richfield, Minnesota. Video footage shows agents pinning the workers to the ground, with one agent jamming his knee into a worker's head.
Minnesota state representative Michael Howard, a Democrat who spoke to the detained workers, criticised Target's response. "I keep hearing more from my constituents about their frustration for how Target, in particular, has chosen silence," he said. Howard has met with Target representatives, including the outgoing CEO, over the past year, noting that "Target has been light on actual action steps, especially on anything that would be public-facing." He added that it is a fallacy to claim Target cannot take actions to safeguard employees and customers against ICE.
Target's Silence Viewed as Complicity
Local advocates, including Unidos, are demanding that Target issue a public statement against immigration enforcement on its grounds. The corporation has not commented on ICE's violent detainment of its employees. Faith groups, immigrant rights supporters, and community organisers interpret Target's silence as cooperation with the masked agents. This backlash adds to existing public criticism; after consumers boycotted Target over rollbacks in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in early 2025, the company reported a decline in first-quarter sales, attributing it to reduced foot traffic and weakened spending.
Andi Otto, executive director of Twin Cities Pride, an LGBTQ+ organisation in talks with Target about DEI policy changes, stated, "Target has an opportunity to step up and be the leader that we know that they can be, but are choosing not to be. What is happening right now is absolutely appalling, and Target's silence shows us that they will likely keep moving in the direction they've been going in the past year." Stevensen mentioned that outgoing CEO Brian Cornell met with clergy but declined to detail any steps Target might take to mend relationships with alienated customers.
Diverse Protest Tactics Emerge
Protests against Target have taken various forms since the killing of Minneapolis resident Renee Good by an ICE agent. Over 100 clergy members from across Minnesota, organised by interfaith group Isaiah, held a press conference outside Target's downtown Minneapolis store on 15 January, urging corporate leaders to join demands for the Department of Homeland Security to end its surge. They then walked to Target's headquarters, singing "This Little Light of Mine" in the lobby and livestreaming the action.
Other groups are implementing specific boycott tactics. SURJ-TC (Showing Up for Racial Justice Twin Cities) has called for Target to post signs stating ICE agents cannot enter without a warrant and to train employees on handling illegal entries. On Martin Luther King Day, SURJ-TC gathered 70 people at a Minnesota Target to "interrupt business as usual" by repeatedly purchasing and returning salt to hold up lines, symbolising a desire to "melt ICE." The organisation plans to repeat this at five Twin Cities Target stores until the company speaks out against ICE.
Historical Context of Target Boycotts
Target has faced boycotts from multiple sides over the past decade. In 2016, conservative groups boycotted after Target allowed transgender individuals to use restrooms matching their gender identity, leading to investments in single-occupancy restrooms. In 2023, public outrage over Pride Month merchandise resulted in Target scaling back Pride sales in 2024, facing counter-backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates. Organisers of the current ICE-related boycott are inspired by earlier DEI boycotts, including a "Target fast" launched by Rev Jamal Bryant.
Ulla Nilsen, a lead organiser with Unidos, expressed confidence in nonviolent activism. "We know that from a historical perspective, nonviolent activism and civic pressure always wins," she said. "We have an administration that's making everyone afraid. So we are calling on the CEO of Target and other businesses in Minnesota to stop being afraid because when we stand together, we will get through this." The Department of Homeland Security, when asked about ICE's treatment of Target employees, stated that agents take necessary steps for safety when faced with violence, alleging one employee assaulted an agent.
