Major Minnesota corporations, including Fortune 500 executives, are breaking their silence on ICE operations. Reactions from Silicon Valley too

Major Twin Cities corporations broke their silence Sunday about the sweeping operations by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents over the past month that have disrupted daily life and the local economy, CNN reports.

Protests Minneapolis PHOTO X

They preferred to remain silent publicly, but privately Minnesota CEOs and business leaders did not sit idly by: They discussed among themselves how to position themselves, deciding to work behind the scenes with Trump administration officials and Republican leaders to address the economic damage caused by the large presence of immigration agents in Minneapolis, said sources close to the companies, who spoke on condition of anonymity to make public details of private debates.

Possible retaliation from the Trump administration and backlash from conservative customers and employees who support its mass deportation agenda have made these companies reluctant to publicly voice their concerns, people familiar with the discussions say.

But the killing of Alex Pretti on Saturday and growing national outrage over the Trump administration's immigration policies prompted the companies to reverse course and make a public statement. This was a restrained one, but the simple gesture was telling, denoting the seriousness of the situation in Minneapolis.

Target, UnitedHealth, Best Buy, Cargill and dozens of other Minnesota-based companies issued a joint statement Sunday calling for “an immediate de-escalation of tensions” and “collaboration among state, local and federal officials to find real solutions.”

“The recent challenges facing our state have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life,” the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce said in a statement.

Some Minnesota Democrats criticized the companies' statement for not mentioning immigration, nor condemning the fatal shooting of nurse Alex Pretti or Renee Good — the first American citizen killed by a federal agent — or urging the administration to withdraw federal agents from the Twin Cities.

“This is far from enough. The clear path to de-escalation is for ICE to go,” Minnesota state representative Michael Howard wrote on Facebook. “But I think it's a useful step, albeit a small one.”

Meanwhile, Trump has fired Border Patrol Commandant General Greg Bovino and some agents are expected to leave Minneapolis, according to sources.

A joint statement from the Minnesota companies was in the works before Pretti's slaying on Saturday, but the new incident prompted them to move quickly, a person familiar with the letter said.

Target's new chief executive, Michael Fiddelke, acknowledged the “incredibly painful” violence in Minneapolis in a video message to employees on Monday. He provided resources and support to staff.

Restraint from fear

Minnesota companies have resisted public denunciation of ICE's operations in recent weeks.

Although customers staged protests outside Target and other local stores, immigration officers arrested employees, and small businesses staged a general walkout across the city, the big companies found it too risky to take a public stand.

Many companies, including Target, have been charged in recent years for taking and then changing positions on social issues. So companies are now cautious, in order not to end up in the same situation.

These companies, with operations in the United States and internationally, closely monitor local and national sentiment. And they appreciated that the widespread anger over the crackdown in the Twin Cities did not spread nationally.

The decision to take a public stance and the companies' reserved language reflect how they are trying to keep pace with public opinion without antagonizing the administration.

Polls on immigration crackdowns have soured in recent weeks, and some Republican lawmakers in Minnesota and across the country have begun to distance themselves from the state's crackdown — signs that unease has spread more widely. President Trump also changed his message, refusing to answer whether the officer who killed Pretti acted appropriately, announcing that the administration is looking into the incident.

The silence on a key economic issue like immigration represents a reversal of the public relations strategies of a once highly vocal group of giants.

Seventeen Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the Twin Cities, more per capita than any other US metropolitan area and in the top 10 globally.

Business leaders call the region a “headquarters economy,” driven by a well-educated workforce of scientists, engineers, marketers and healthcare professionals. The Twin Cities' long tradition as a welcoming place for refugees and immigrants, dating back to the Vietnam War, has also helped make it a business-friendly hub.

“The success of Minnesota's economy, both now and in the future, is intrinsically tied to our immigrant communities,” declared the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce in 2021. “Minnesota needs immigrant entrepreneurs and workers. They embody the spirit of our local economy.”

The reaction today stands in stark contrast to how these companies reacted to the 2020 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

Then Minnesota companies came out with public statements within days, formed internal diversity and inclusion teams and pledged major investments in scholarships and workforce programs to expand diversity.

Target, for example, has invested billions of dollars in black-owned retailers, opened stores in minority neighborhoods, and stocked shelves with LBGT-themed products for Pride Month.

A few years later, many companies dropped their policies due to opposition from the Trump administration, right-wing activists on social media and lawsuits from conservative legal groups.

“As a retailer that serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the importance of staying current with the ever-evolving external landscape, now and in the future,” Target said last year.

60 CEOs signed the letter

“At this difficult time for our community, we are calling for peace and cooperation between local, state and federal leaders to reach a quick and lasting solution that will allow our Minnesota families, businesses, employees and communities to get back to work to build a bright and prosperous future,” the Chamber of Commerce letter added.

The letter was also signed by heads of Fortune 500 companies such as 3M, Best Buy, General Mills, Land O'Lakes, Target, UnitedHealth, US Bancorp, Xcel Energy and Hormel, Fortune reports.

Target, in particular, has been in the spotlight during the immigration crackdown as a major Minnesota company.

ICE detained employees who worked in the retail giant's stores, and community activists demanded that Target take a stand against the raids.

On the other hand, Silicon Valley's tech leaders are expressing their views a bit more strongly and are increasingly taking a stand against the Trump administration.

Meta's former AI chief Yann LeCun simply posted “Killers” while reacting to footage of the shootings.

Kath Korevec, director of product at Google Labs, wrote: “This video is too painful to watch and yet we have to burn it in our memory. 'They had already disarmed him' is the key fact here. Then they executed him. It's shameful. No matter what side you're on, what happened today is unacceptable.”

In a later post , she warned, “It's only a matter of time before they show up in force here in the Bay Area.”