Target employees detained by federal officers were U.S. citizens, legislator says

Carson Hartzog, Star Tribune on Jan 12, 2026

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A Minnesota state representative said two Richfield Target employees detained by U.S. Border Patrol on Jan. 8 were U.S. citizens and were both injured in the incident.

Rep. Michael Howard, a Democrat who represents Wards 10 and 11 in Minneapolis and all of Richfield, said on Jan. 12 that he has been in contact with both employees and that they have since been released. The Star Tribune has been unable to reach either individual.

“I can’t believe in the year 2026 in our country, we have two workers — they’re U.S. citizens — violently arrested and hauled away. It’s madness,” Howard said. He said he could confirm their citizenship.

Target declined to comment. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Border Patrol arrested a U.S. citizen for assault.

“This individual was arrested for assaulting federal law enforcement officers,” DHS posted on X. The agency has not responded to questions clarifying which individual was arrested.

The incident, which was captured on video by bystanders, occurred a day after a Minneapolis woman, Renee Nicole Good, was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in south Minneapolis.

At an event Jan. 10 outside the Richfield Target, community members urged Target to limit immigration enforcement access to private areas without a judge-signed warrant and to provide staff with training on how to respond to such encounters.

They also called on Target to issue a public statement opposing ICE activity in Minnesota. Howard said he has been in contact with Target about how it can “better protect their workers and customers.”

Several Twin Cities employers, including Target, sent out emails last week acknowledging ICE’s ongoing presence in Minnesota. Target’s chief human resources officer sent an email to employees the afternoon of Jan. 8, referring to the ongoing ICE effort as “events in our hometown.”

“This situation is changing quickly and continuing to develop — and we receive new information by the moment,” Melissa Kremer wrote. “But I want to assure you that we’re constantly monitoring the situation, following all laws and regulations, and prioritizing safety at our stores and sites.”

There have been additional online reports of ICE agents at Target stores and other retailers around the metro, though the Star Tribune has not been able to independently verify those accounts. Walmart declined to comment Jan. 12 about its protocol. Best Buy and Costco did not respond to requests for comment.

Home Depot said in a statement the retailer isn’t notified about when immigration enforcement occurs and isn’t involved in operations.

“We aren’t coordinating with ICE or Border Patrol,” the statement said. “We cannot legally interfere with federal enforcement agencies, including preventing them from coming into our stores and parking lots.”

ICE agents were seen at the Midway Target in St. Paul around 2 p.m. Jan. 11, according to videos shared with the Star Tribune. The videos show a handful of agents by the entrance to a bathroom. Gregory Bovino, known as U.S. Border Patrol’s commander at large, is then seen exiting with additional agents.

Immigration agents can enter the public spaces of a business or workplace without permission or a warrant. These are spaces that are generally available to the public, such as the seating area of a restaurant, parking lots, lobbies and retail stores.

According to guidelines from the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General, ICE cannot enter public areas if there are posted signs marking those areas as private or inaccessible to ICE without a court-issued warrant or subpoena. The Richfield Target store did not have signs posted at either entrance on Friday afternoon.

Customers, employees and employers have a right to remain silent and do not have to answer agents’ questions.

A Target employee said all workers must complete an I-9 form before being hired, which verifies a new hire’s identity and legal authorization to work in the U.S. through documents such as a passport, drivers license, immigration visa or green card or Social Security card.

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