In the wake of multiple murders by federal ICE agents, we disrupted business at downtown Target to demand that they stop providing resources and support to ICE.
On Thursday, January 29th, we brought together faith leaders, community members, and elected officials who were heartbroken and angry about the recent murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti to demonstrate inside and outside of the downtown Target at 1101 W Jackson St.
In solidarity with Minnesota protesters, we demanded that the massive retailer make their stores 4th amendment workplaces, restore the DEI commitments they made in 2020 and then took back when Trump was elected, and publicly demand that ICE leave Minnesota immediately. Activists also demanded that Illinois Senator Dick Durbin keep his promise not to vote to fund DHS, even in the event of a government shutdown.
During the demonstration, we entered the Target store with signs bearing slogans like “Whose side are you on?” and “ICE out of everywhere,” delivered a letter of demands to management, chanted and sang, then exited peacefully to continue speaking outside. A small number of demonstrators stayed inside to prevent shoppers from entering the store.
Sunjay Kumar, candidate for State Representative in the 13th district, spoke at the event, saying, “Over the last year, we have borne witness to ICE’s campaign of terror as they have taken lives and kidnapped our neighbors. Target is actively enabling this violence in our communities by allowing its land to be used for ICE operations. If Target wants to profit from our community, then they must stop putting our community in danger.”
Pastor Jevon Moore of Bryn Mawr Community Church said, “As faith leaders, we have an obligation to push back when we see moral disasters happening in our community. We are no longer allowing corporations to quietly profit while providing resources to ICE as they murder innocent people in the street.”
Target CEO Brian Cornell came out strongly in favor of DEI after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, but quickly went back on those commitments when Trump was elected. The Target corporation even made its first-ever donation to an inauguration campaign last year—to Trump’s campaign.
Since then, Target, Minnesota’s fourth-largest employer, has supported ICE’s campaign of terror by:
- Allowing Greg Bovino to invade a Target in St. Paul and film propaganda there while he was CBP chief
- Allowing ICE to assault and kidnap two Target employees, who are citizens, while they were at work in Richfield, MN
- In Chicago, allowing ICE agents to use their parking lots as a staging location to facilitate their ongoing work to kidnap our neighbors and terrorize our communities
- Continuing to allow ICE agents access to Target stores nationwide
- Remaining silent even after the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti
“The Trump regime depends on support from corporations like Target, and those corporations depend on workers and consumers to do their business. People across the country are not OK with the devastation and murder coming from the Trump regime and are not going to allow business as usual from the corporations that are enabling Trump and ICE,” said Will Tanzman, executive director of The People’s Lobby.
Read more about our protests in the news:
- “Protesters Press Target to Take a Stand Against ICE Crackdown in Minneapolis,” New York Times
- “Seven detained outside West Loop Target as protesters demand retailer stand against ICE,” Chicago Tribune
- “ICE has become a national issue for Target,” Modern Retail
- “7 arrested after anti-ICE protest at West Loop Target,” Chicago police say, ABC 7 Chicago
- “Chicagoans continue calls to abolish ICE as worry persists over feds’ spring surge,” Chicago Sun-Times
- “Elizabeth Shackelford: What history tells us about fighting the repression we are seeing here,” Chicago Tribune
- “Nationwide boycott targeting ICE planned for Friday,” Axios Chicago
- “Target Says It Has No ‘Cooperative Agreements With ICE,’ as Protests Escalate,” Impactivize