Minneapolis businesses close doors for economic blackout protesting ICE

As part of a significant economic protest dubbed “The Day of Truth and Freedom,” hundreds of businesses in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the middle of the United States, are closing their doors.

Small businesses, unions, faith organizations, and educators from across the city who have come together for Friday’s walkout, which has become a focal point for the aggressive actions of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. A coalition of community groups is behind the call, which also calls for the suspension of consumer spending.

The organization organizing the protest wrote on its website that “it is time to suspend the normal course of business” in order to demand the immediate cessation of ICE operations in Minnesota.

In cities all over the country, including Seattle, Los Angeles, New York City, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and others, there are solidarity marches.

The group also has a march scheduled for the Minneapolis protest that will start at 2 p.m. local time (20:00 GMT) and end at the Target Center, a downtown Minneapolis arena.

Eyes on Target

Due to the company’s close ties to Minneapolis, where its headquarters are located, and its position as the state’s fourth-largest employer, the big-box retailer, in particular, has been in the spotlight of event planners.

The organization is urging Target stores to enact Fourth Amendment protections, which would prevent federal agents from entering homes or places of business without a judge-signed warrant.

The group identified two incidents that raised concerns in a document that the organization shared with the organizers. Two cases came on the same day, on January 8, when Customs and Border Patrol brutally detained two US citizens while they were employed at a store in Richfield, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis; the other was in nearby St Paul, where Customs and Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino and other agents squatted into a store.

“Target follows, where others lead.” Federal agents are reportedly attacking Minnesotans inside of Target stores, and our state is under their control. The document states that Target must support Minnesotans in preventing these attacks.

The protests and calls for action from Target have been kept under wraps. According to Bloomberg News, the company emailed a memo to employees warning of possible disruptions.

The anti-ICE protesters’ pressure is just the latest in a string of progressives’ recent counterrepression against the retail giant. Following the company’s decision to reverse its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, which the company later attributed to a factor contributing to a decline in sales in early 2025, there were calls for boycotts.

Wall Street’s stock is up 1.3 percent in midday trading, keeping up with the looming tensions.

Al Jazeera requested comment from Target, but the outlet did not respond.

The political response

“The Trump Administration’s immigration enforcement operations have resulted in the removal of numerous dangerous criminal illegals from the streets, including murderers, burglars, drunk drivers, and more.” Making American communities safer will result in a safe environment for all businesses and their customers. Democrats and Joe Biden should have never allowed a large number of dangerous criminals to enter our nation. According to White House spokesman Abigail Jackson, the Trump administration is now cleaning up the Democrats’ mess, according to a statement from the White House.

The White House declined to comment further when asked for a response to this argument and whether ICE would hold agents accountable for breaking the law.

The protests were prompted by allegations that the agency’s actions violated First and Fourth Amendment protections and threatened to target protesters.

Among them are the Department of Justice’s decision not to investigate the shooter who killed Renee Good, which has sparked further outrage among civil liberties advocates. The agent who fatally shot and killed Renee Good is one of the economic blackout’s demands.

I support the decisions made by those who are choosing to take part in the blackout on January 23. Our small businesses, especially those that are owned by immigrant people, are currently under a lot of pressure, and they could really use our assistance. I hope we consider our neighbors and nearby businesses, according to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in a statement released to Al Jazeera.

Source: Aljazeera