Target Workers Call Out as Headquarters Delays Returns After Richfield Detentions

Target workers in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area have been calling out or postponing planned in-office shifts after federal immigration agents detained two employees at a Richfield store on January 22, 2026. The detentions have left store-level and corporate staff seeking clearer direction on safety, interactions with federal agents, and the company’s response to heightened community concern.

Target’s corporate staff postponed planned in-office schedules at headquarters in the days after the Richfield detentions. Store employees reported increased anxiety about guest-facing interactions and safety in stores, and some staff notified schedulers that they would not come to work while they sought more information. Internal employee communications reviewed by staff show workers asking leadership for explicit guidance and practical steps they should take if approached by federal agents on or near store property.

Employees circulated letters to Target’s ethics and human resources teams requesting written policies about responding to immigration enforcement and about protecting people in stores. Those internal messages also asked for clearer channels for urgent guidance so that frontline workers and Minneapolis-based corporate employees could make informed decisions about safety and shifts.

Local elected officials and clergy publicly urged Target to take steps to protect workers and customers in the wake of the Richfield detentions. The calls from community leaders intensified pressure on Target to articulate a companywide stance and to provide immediate protections for employees who said they felt vulnerable or unsure how to respond to law enforcement activity.

Target provided limited public comment and said its security teams are increasing communications with Minneapolis-based employees. The company has not released a comprehensive public policy addressing interactions with federal immigration agents for store staff or corporate employees. That gap has fueled uncertainty and left individual managers to interpret existing safety protocols.

The disruptions have practical consequences for store operations and workforce morale. Call-outs and delayed returns to the office strain schedules already tight during peak retail periods and can shift responsibilities to other employees. For corporate staff, the postponement of in-office work feeds broader questions about how Target balances headquarters expectations with frontline worker safety in a region facing heightened enforcement activity.

For Target employees and managers, the immediate need is clear: concrete, written guidance from leadership that explains how to handle federal agents, what protections the company will provide, and how security teams will coordinate with stores and corporate teams. How Target answers those questions will influence employee willingness to return to scheduled shifts and to in-person work at headquarters.

As the company updates its communications, workers and local leaders will watch whether Target tightens safety protocols or revises return-to-office plans. The outcome will shape workplace safety expectations and trust between Minneapolis-area employees and company leadership in the weeks ahead.