Clergy stage sit-in at Target headquarters urging limits on ICE activity

More than 100 clergy and faith leaders gathered at a downtown Target store and then staged a peaceful sit-in inside Target's corporate headquarters lobby to press the company to denounce federal immigration enforcement practices. The action, on Jan. 15, focused attention on recent enforcement incidents that organizers say have affected Target team members in the region.

Organizers delivered a letter signed by hundreds of clergy nationally and formally requested a meeting with Target leadership. They asked the company to publicly "affirm Target stores as 4th Amendment workplaces" and to request limits on immigration enforcement activity inside and near stores, along with support for affected team members. Organizers streamed parts of the sit-in live. Target had not issued a public response in the immediate aftermath.

The protest brings a faith-based coalition into a workplace dispute that intersects with public safety, civil liberties and labor concerns. For team members, the core demand is practical: reassurances that stores will be safe sites for employees and customers, and that corporate policy will limit interaction with immigration enforcement in ways that protect workers’ privacy and rights. For frontline workers who are immigrants or who live in heavily policed neighborhoods, presence or reports of enforcement near stores can create fear, disrupt shifts and complicate store operations.

From a corporate perspective, the sit-in raises reputational and operational questions. Retailers depend on trust between store leadership and teams to maintain staffing and customer service; visible community pressure over law enforcement practices can strain morale and increase turnover if employers are perceived as unsupportive. At the same time, large companies confront legal and practical limits when federal agencies carry out enforcement in public spaces. How Target chooses to respond could influence store-level protocols, including guidance for managers when federal officers appear on or near premises, and whether the company offers additional legal, financial or paid-leave support to impacted employees.

The clergy coalition framed the demand as both moral and workplace policy driven, moving beyond a single incident toward a push for formal corporate commitments. That strategy increases the likelihood that Target will face continued public attention and requests for concrete policy changes or meetings with leadership.

What comes next for team members is a clearer sign from corporate: whether Target will meet with organizers, articulate store-level protections, and outline support for affected employees. For workers and managers, the episode underscores a growing expectation that employers address the intersection of public enforcement and workplace safety.