New Target CEO Michael Fiddelke faces mounting pressure to take a stand against actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis, where the retailer is headquartered.
In a public letter addressed to the executive on Sunday, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten criticized Target for what she called its “silence” on ICE’s activities in Minneapolis and demanded that the company “clearly state” that it wants federal immigration agents to leave the city.
“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,” she said. “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.”
AFT’s membership, who include teachers, nurses and public employees, invests a total of roughly $4 trillion in pension funds that own 6.8 million shares of Target stock, while consumers are also “an important addressable market” for the company, Weingarten said.
Target appointed Fiddelke, who started his career at the company as an intern, as CEO last summer, and this week marks his first time at the helm of the company. In a statement on Monday, Fiddelke outlined Target’s business priorities, but he refrained from specifically commenting on ICE’s activities in Minneapolis.
Such reticence could backfire for Target, Weingarten said, adding that Fiddelke’s “response to the current crisis will define your time as CEO” of the company.
Fiddelke was one of more than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies who signed a joint letter in January demanding the “immediate de-escalation of tensions.” But they omitted any reference to ICE or its tactics after two border patrol fatally shot Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti.
U.S. immigration agents also fatally shot Minneapolis resident Renee Good on Jan. 7.
Weingarten called the letter a “productive first step,” but said “it falls far short of showing real leadership to end ICE’s occupation in Minnesota.”
Target didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
Alison Taylor, a professor of Business and Society at NYU Stern School of Business, told CBS News that the business community is likely to come under continuing pressure related to the events in Minneapolis.
“Everyone who is angry about this wanted to see condemnation, names of victims, and a stronger callout that this should stop, and I don’t think anybody saw that,” she said.
ICE agents have staged operations in Target parking lots, making them a popular site of demonstrations for anti-ICE activists. ICE last month also detained two Target employees at one of its Minneapolis store.
Protestors on Monday rallied against ICE in front of Target’s Minneapolis headquarters, 36 hours after demonstrators showed up at 23 of the retailer’s stores in the area.
