Target Faces Staff Absences, Protests Over ICE Crackdown in Minnesota

Target Corp. is grappling with employee absences and protests in the Twin Cities after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained two U.S. citizen employees at a Richfield, Minnesota, store, sparking fear among staff and prompting calls for corporate action. Some workers have refused to come to work, while teams have postponed in-office weeks at headquarters. Local faith leaders have demanded Target ban federal agents from its properties and issue a public condemnation of the enforcement operation. The company has not issued a public statement on the ICE detentions, the surge of agents in the region, or the Jan. 8 shooting death of U.S. citizen Renee Good by an ICE agent. Chief Human Resources Officer Melissa Kremer told employees in a memo that security teams are increasing communication and working with stakeholders to de-escalate tensions. Internal documents confirm Target has no cooperative agreements with ICE, though agents can legally enter public areas without a warrant. Employees have circulated letters to the ethics team seeking guidance, citing confusion over the lack of corporate response. Meanwhile, shoppers have staged protests, including returning bags of salt to disrupt operations, and activists are calling for a statewide shutdown on Jan. 25. The situation is straining business operations and testing Target’s leadership under CEO Michael Fiddelke, set to take over Feb. 1.