US corporations against ICE violence Business leaders urge Trump to de-escalate in open letter
For the first time since the controversial ICE operations began, resistance is forming from the executive floors of major US corporations. They are sending an unusually clear signal to the White House.
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- After deadly ICE operations, leading US companies are publicly calling on President Trump to de-escalate.
- CEOs such as Target's CEO-designate Fiddelke and JP Morgan boss Dimon are clearly criticizing the violence for the first time.
- This was triggered by moral pressure, customer protests and increasing economic risks for the companies themselves.
For weeks, the heads of major US corporations kept a low profile, while the immigration authorities ICE caused outrage with controversial raids. It was only after the fatal shooting of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis that the tone changed - and business leaders came out in unison just one day after the incident.
The All-American department store Target, United Health Group, 3M and around 60 other companies from Minnesota expressed their views in an open letter published by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce on its website. In it, they call for "immediate de-escalation" and better cooperation between the authorities.
The choice of words was striking: no direct criticism of President Donald Trump, but a clear distance from the escalating violence. In a video message, Target's CEO-designate Michael Fiddelke spoke of "incredibly painful" events that affected employees and the city alike.
Companies abandon political restraint
Prominent business leaders across the country also expressed their criticism for the first time, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Jamie Dimon, head of the major bank JP Morgan Chase, said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he did not like what he was seeing. Investor Jason Calacanis called it "shameful" to portray the nurse who was shot as a terrorist. Such statements are unusual in a corporate world that is used to political restraint.
The content of the criticism is less remarkable than its origin. During Trump's second term in office, many CEOs were demonstratively loyal or publicly silent. This makes it all the more politically explosive now that the very companies that have long supported Trump's economic course are united in warning against state violence. The protest is not coming from activists or trade unions, but from the boardrooms themselves.
Many CEOs had previously supported Trump - out of hope for tax cuts, deregulation or fear of reprisals. This adjustment was particularly visible in the rapid withdrawal of many companies from diversity programs. Target was seen as a symbol of this shift to the right. But the strategy came at a price: calls for a boycott, falling sales and ultimately the resignation of CEO Brian Cornell.
ICE operations hit companies directly
Now comes another U-turn. Management expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld from Yale University speaks of a turning point: the collective action of the companies sends a strong signal. The pressure is not only coming from customers, but also from operational concerns. ICE operations in factories and on construction sites are increasingly affecting companies themselves - even where workers have valid visas.
The state of Minnesota filed a lawsuit this month calling for the immigration action to be halted, pointing out the devastating economic consequences. The lawsuit claimed that some businesses have reported sales declines of up to 80 percent, according to US broadcaster ABC.
At the same time, it remains to be seen how far the impact of the economy actually extends. Trump has shown in the past that he will publicly snub or ignore even powerful company bosses if it serves his political calculations. For companies, this means that anyone who speaks out now is taking a risk - reputationally, economically and politically.
In the meantime, President Trump has announced that some of the task forces will be withdrawn from Minneapolis. Whether this is due to pressure from the economy or falling poll ratings remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that American business leaders have given up their reticence.
