ICE Crackdown Triggers BIZARRE Target Takeover

Aging leftist activists in Minnesota have turned Target stores into their personal stages for absurd sing-alongs protesting ICE operations, harassing innocent shoppers while federal agents lawfully execute their duties under President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.

Story Snapshot

Protesters staged sit-ins and sing-alongs at a Crystal, Minnesota Target on January 31, 2026, blocking aisles and disrupting customers to oppose ICE using store facilities
The demonstrations stem from Target’s 2025 reversal of DEI programs and ICE’s Operation Metro Surge, the largest immigration enforcement deployment in Minnesota history
Target acknowledges federal agents have legal access to public store areas without warrants, limiting the company’s ability to restrict law enforcement
Social media users widely mocked the protesters’ tactics as ineffective theater that alienates ordinary Americans while accomplishing nothing

Disruptive Theater at Crystal Target

On January 31, 2026, a group of predominantly older protesters occupied a Target store in Crystal, Minnesota, distributing lyric sheets for organized singing while blocking shopping aisles. Videos captured by social media users showed the demonstrators holding signs and performing what critics described as ineffective political theater. Shoppers expressed visible annoyance as they navigated around the protesters, with some simply continuing their shopping despite the disruption. The protesters demanded Target prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from using store parking lots and restrooms during Operation Metro Surge, President Trump’s robust immigration enforcement initiative in the Twin Cities area.

Federal Authority Versus Activist Demands

Target faces an impossible situation created by leftist activists who demand the corporation obstruct federal law enforcement. The company confirmed that ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents possess legal authority to access public areas of retail stores without warrants, a constitutional reality that no corporate policy can override. Target’s Chief Human Resources Officer Melissa Kremer issued internal communications emphasizing increased security measures and stakeholder engagement while explicitly stating the company has no agreements facilitating ICE operations. This acknowledgment underscores a fundamental truth: federal agents enforcing immigration law don’t require corporate permission to operate in publicly accessible spaces, rendering the protesters’ demands both futile and constitutionally ignorant.

Escalating Campaign Born From DEI Reversal

The current protests represent an evolution of activist anger that began when Target reversed its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in 2025 under CEO Brian Cornell. Activists Nekima Levy Armstrong and Monique Cullars Doty launched a boycott campaign that subsequently merged with opposition to ICE operations during Operation Metro Surge. The protests expanded from a January 19 demonstration at a St. Paul Target to a January 23 “Day of Truth and Freedom” featuring faith leaders occupying Target headquarters. These activists frame their opposition as resistance to what they call “Trump fascism,” revealing their true objection: lawful enforcement of immigration laws by the duly elected Trump administration restoring order after years of Biden-era border chaos.

Employee Disruption and Public Backlash

Target employees have reportedly skipped shifts following ICE detentions at a Richfield location, where two individuals initially claimed to be U.S. citizens were detained during enforcement operations. The protests have created operational challenges for Target, prompting a January 25 letter from 60 Minnesota CEOs calling for de-escalation. However, social media reaction to the Crystal protest revealed widespread public contempt for the demonstrators’ tactics. Conservative commentators highlighted customer indifference to the singing protesters, with shoppers literally stepping around them to complete their purchases. This disconnect between activist fervor and public sentiment demonstrates how out-of-touch these leftist protesters are with ordinary Americans who support lawful immigration enforcement and reject the disruption of everyday commerce for political grandstanding.

The absurdity of retired activists singing protest songs in retail aisles while hardworking Americans try to shop exemplifies the left’s misguided priorities. Rather than respecting law enforcement’s constitutional duty to enforce immigration laws that protect American citizens and jobs, these demonstrators harass innocent shoppers and employees. Their tactics achieve nothing except public mockery and reinforce why voters elected President Trump to restore sanity to immigration policy after years of open-border disasters under the previous administration. Target’s situation illustrates the broader challenge facing American businesses: navigating between activist pressure and supporting lawful federal operations that serve the national interest and constitutional order.