CEOs of Target, Best Buy, Minnesota-based companies call for ‘de-escalation’

The CEOs of 60 Minnesota-based companies, including Target, Best Buy and General Mills, issued a letter on Sunday asking Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Trump administration and state and local officials for an “immediate de-escalation of tensions” following the fatal shooting of a man in Minneapolis by a federal agent.

The letter from the CEOs was posted on the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce website, which also issued a press release, a little after 10 a.m. on Sunday, Matt Bohm with the chamber confirmed to USA Today.

“With yesterday’s ‌tragic news, we are calling for an immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to ‌find real solutions,” the letter stated.

CEOs in ‘close communication’ with Trump, Vance

In ‌the three-paragraph letter, the CEOs said that their businesses in Minnesota have been working with federal, state and local officials for the past several weeks to “advance real solutions.”

Their efforts included “close communication” with Gov. Tim Walz, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and “local mayors.”

“The recent challenges facing our state ​have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life,” the letter said. “There ‌are ways for us to come ⁠together to foster progress.”

Bohm with the chamber declined to comment when USA TODAY asked if the letter had been in the works before the shooting death of 37-year-old ICU ‌nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday, which sparked more protests across the city and country.

The CEOS in the letter said they had been “working for generations to build a strong and vibrant state here in Minnesota and will do ‌so in the months and years ahead with equal and even greater commitment.”

“In this difficult moment for our community, we call for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees, and communities ‌across Minnesota to resume our work to ​build ‌a bright and prosperous future.”

Target, Best Buy, food companies among CEOs in signed letter

The letter was signed by CEOs of companies with large national and, in some cases, international footprints, as well as regional and state-wide companies.

That included retailers such as Target, Best Buy and ‌food companies such as General Mills and Cargill. It also included businesses such as 3M and U.S. Bancorp (U.S. Bank) and sports teams Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx.

A Target spokesman confirmed to USA ​Today that incoming company CEO Michael Fiddelke, who starts in his new role on Feb. 1 after serving as chief operating officer, signed the chamber letter. But the spokesman declined any further comment about the letter or the time frame of when the CEOs had been working on it. The spokesman also declined ⁠to comment further on any matters regarding Target and ICE operations or protests.

Betty Lin-Fisher is ​a consumer reporter for USA Today. Reach her at blinfisher@USATODAY.com or follow her on X, Facebook ⁠or Instagram @blinfisher and @blinfisher.bsky.social on Bluesky. 

This article originally appeared on USA Today

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