Home Depot Among Companies Pressured to Deny ICE Use in Minnesota Actions

Labor and community groups in Minnesota coordinated a Day of Truth & Freedom on January 25, calling on large employers to refuse U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement use of their properties and to speak publicly about recent enforcement operations in the Twin Cities. The campaign followed calls for an economic blackout on January 23 that urged no work, no shopping, no school and targeted national firms including Target, Home Depot, Enterprise, Delta and Hilton.

Organizers framed the actions as a response to recent enforcement sweeps that they say have caused deaths and injuries and disrupted neighborhoods and workplaces. Unions issued statements joining community leaders in demanding company policies that protect workers from workplace immigration enforcement and that bar ICE from accessing private retail, parking and other commercial spaces without clear corporate refusals.

Some local businesses and faith groups closed or joined the actions, citing solidarity with impacted families and concern for front-line employees who may face fear, lost hours or safety risks. Organizers used the coordinated day to pressure store-level managers, corporate offices and property managers to adopt formal protocols that would deny ICE access and to ensure human resources and scheduling practices do not penalize employees who miss work to participate or to avoid enforcement activity.

Company spokespeople were contacted for comment, and some firms did not immediately respond to requests. The public pressure puts companies such as Home Depot at an inflection point between operational continuity and community expectations. For employers, the issue raises questions about property access rules, cooperation with law enforcement, and the legal and reputational risks of either permitting or denying agency presence on or near worksites.

For workers, the immediate impacts include potential disruptions to schedules and customer traffic, heightened concern about safety while clocking in or clocking out, and stress that can affect retention and morale. For hourly associates and immigrant employees in particular, organizers say the aim is to reduce the chilling effect of immigration enforcement on reporting workplace hazards, accessing benefits and participating in union activity.

The Day of Truth & Freedom also signals an escalation in labor-community tactics that use targeted economic pressure to win corporate policy changes. The next phase for workers and managers will be watching whether Home Depot and the other named companies issue formal statements, adopt written directives for property managers and security staff, or adjust HR guidance for employees affected by enforcement operations.

For employees and workplace leaders, the actions underscore the need to clarify company policy on law enforcement presence, to communicate protections to staff, and to monitor how corporate responses shape safety, scheduling and labor relations in stores and on job sites.