Chief executives of Target, Best Buy, General Mills, Cargill and roughly four dozen other large Minnesota companies issued a public letter Sunday calling for an “immediate de-escalation of tensions” in the state.
The letter marks the first time the most recognizable businesses in Minnesota have weighed in on the turmoil in Minneapolis amid the aggressive crackdown by federal immigration agents, which have sparked widespread protests throughout the city.
It comes one day after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, a nurse at the city’s Veterans Affairs hospital, while he was being restrained during a protest in Minneapolis.
“With yesterday’s tragic news, we are calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions,” the letter states.
The letter was signed by top executives of Minnesota’s largest companies and large hospital systems, including Land O’ Lakes, Hormel, U.S. Bancorp, Mayo Clinic and 3M. It also was signed by local sports teams: the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Wild.
The letter is notable because many CEOs have sought to avoid weighing in on any politically charged issues during the second Trump administration. On Friday, hundreds of smaller businesses in the Minneapolis area shut their doors as they backed protests against the actions from Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the city.
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Until Sunday, the largest companies in the state had not addressed the issue, but in the letter they said they had been in contact with federal, state and local officials.
Still, Sunday’s letter stopped short of calling for specific action nor did the corporations condemn the shooting of Pretti by the federal agents or call for immigration authorities to rein in their aggressive enforcement. The statement also did not call on protesters to change their behavior.
With polls showing voters split along party lines on whether they support President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, corporations have been careful not to alienate large numbers of their customers by taking a side. They also risk angering Trump, who has publicly rebuked companies and executives he believes have crossed him.
The letter from the Minnesota companies Sunday struck a neutral tone.
“In this difficult moment for our community, we call for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees and communities across Minnesota to resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future,” the executives wrote.
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