Twin Cities Local community members cry for Target to stand with Minnesotans
A large crowd gathered outside the Richfield Target over the weekend, just days after ICE agents took two employees into custody, as community members implore the corporation to speak out about what's happening in the Twin Cities.
Last Thursday, cell phone video captured ICE agents holding two Target employees to the ground before forcing them into the back of an SUV.
"Federal agents assaulted and abducted two workers going about their shift, ignoring the one of them who is proclaiming that he is a U.S. citizen and had his passport in his pocket," Ben Whalen, with faith-based activist organizers from Isaiah, said.
Community advocates are now demanding change, as well as an end to what they call ICE's racial profiling of their neighbors. Target Corporate is based in the Twin Cities.
"It's madness to see workers just doing their job and to be arrested in our community. It's jarring," Minnesota Rep. Mike Howard, who represents Richfield, said. "The events of this week are showing just the devastating impacts."
Howard said he spoke to both men on Friday, confirming they were indeed citizens who were later released.
The organization behind Saturday's demonstration outside Target is now demanding that every Target store only let ICE agents onto private property with a signed judicial warrant, and for Target to train its employees of their rights.
"We would like them to post signs about people's Fourth Amendment rights. We would like them to train their employees to respond when ICE is here," Whalen said.
Advocates are also calling on Congress to intervene to put a halt to ICE arrests. They say they are targeting people simply based on the color of their skin.
On Monday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced the state, along with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, are suing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other federal officials, claiming ICE actions are in "violation of the 10th Amendment and the sovereign laws and powers of the Constitution."
WCCO reached out to Target multiple times, about the incident at Richfield, as well as what their protocols are for employees when ICE arrives at the store. As of Monday afternoon, Target has yet to respond to WCCO's inquiries.