Minnesota CEOs’ call for ‘de-escalation’ isn’t enough. Here’s why.

CEOs of Minnesota’s biggest companies signed a public letter calling for “immediate de-escalation of tensions” after weeks of silence following Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) descending upon the state, which has led to civilian deaths, abductions, economic stand-stills and a profound disruption of daily life.

On Sunday, chief executives of more than 60 major corporations like Target, Best Buy, 3M and General Mills, called for “immediate de-escalation of tensions” in Minnesota. The letter came following federal agents shooting and killing Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old VA ICU nurse while he was on the ground. Weeks earlier, Renee Good, was also shot and killed by ICE agents while in her vehicle. 

The letter marks a shift for major companies headquartered in Minnesota, many of which put out public statements in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, but were quiet on the chaos swirling around ICE’s presence in their state. (Earlier this month, Fast Company’s Joe Berkowitz received no reply from any major Minnesota company when asked to comment about ICE.)

The letter reads, in part: “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.”

But experts think the call for peace fell short of criticizing the illegal actions that have been increasingly taken by federal immigration agents in recent weeks.

Weak leadership just makes workers more anxious

While the organization has been operating largely without warrants, and have been caught on video violently detaining people (even U.S. citizens) the letter stayed away from any criticism of either the The President administration’s direction or ICE agents themselves. That’s been common during President The President’s second term: many organizations haven’t pushed back on the administration’s rollbacks on DEI efforts, for example.

Instead, the letter stuck to neutral language, such as “the recent challenges facing our state” to describe the situation. 

The letter has received criticism: On social media, some commenters call it a “pseudo-statement,” “spineless” and “mealy-mouthed.”

Sonia Daniels, a consultant and organizational systems expert who studies how people, power, and institutional behavior intersect, tells Fast Company that the letter’s clear display of neutrality was intentional—and also, she believes, the wrong call. 

“Leaders often reach for language about calm and deescalation when they are actually trying to manage risks, not reality,” she says, and adds that “while this instinct feels responsible, it isn’t.” She explains how failing to accurately speak about a situation of such magnitude has the potential to even cause more damage.

“When leaders refuse to name the source of harm, they shift the burden to the employees,” Daniels says. “When that happens, workers are left to absorb fear, confusion, and moral tension while leadership stays abstract and polite, which erodes trust fast.” 

Actions speak louder than words

Instead of staying neutral to avoid any potential blowback, Daniels says CEOs should tell the truth about where they stand, as well as offer resources to their workforce who will undoubtedly be affected by ICE’s ongoing raids—and are, in many cases, afraid to go to work. 

“Statements alone do not stabilize people,” Daniels explains. “Unless action follows.”

While the open letter stated that companies’ efforts have included “close communication with the Governor, the White House, the Vice President and local mayors”, many agree that doesn’t feel like enough. 

Cameron Kolb, a CEO adviser, tells Fast Company that fairly neutral-sounding open letters like this one “are disconnected from the employees and community, especially residents, from the current realities.” Kolb says that leaders in Minnesota should be openly talking about the impact ICE operations have had on the community, as well as providing support for de-escalation efforts—”including backing community investigations.”

“True leadership, especially in times of crisis, involves more than preaching for unity. It involves an alignment of the public position with demonstrated support for the most affected,” Kolb says.

Community leadership

Meanwhile, as top business leaders stay relatively neutral-sounding, the citizen leaders of Minnesota are taking action. 

On Friday, community leaders, along with citizens, faith leaders, and labor unions organized a day of action where over  75,000 took to the streets to stand against ICE and  hundreds of thousands participated in an economic blackout.

“ICE continues to make everyone less safe, and Minnesota’s Labor Movement repeats and amplifies our call for them to leave our state immediately,” said Bernie Burnham, Minnesota AFL-CIO President, in a statement following the killing of Alex Pretti. 

“Minnesota’s Labor Movement will continue to actively support and stand in solidarity with every worker who has been unlawfully detained. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our fellow Minnesotans in the face of a hostile federal government.”

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