The killing of Alex Pretti has inspired protests of all sorts all across the country — and even major corporations are speaking out.
On Saturday, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce released a letter on behalf of more than 60 CEOs of companies based in the North Star State. Here's a closer look at the statement and some of the other heavy hitters using their voice.
Companies speaking out against ICE
Target, UnitedHealthcare, Best Buy, and others release statement
"Now more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice," the leaders said in a joint statement.
"The recent challenges facing our state have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life," it reads. The letter goes on to explain that "for the past several weeks," business leaders in Minnesota were working "behind the scenes with federal, state and local officials to advance real solutions," including having conversations with Gov. Tim Walz, the White House, Vice President JD Vance, and local mayors.
"With yesterday’s tragic news, we are calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and for state, local, and federal officials to work together to find real solutions." It was signed by the CEOs of Best Buy, General Mills, Mayo Clinic, Target, and others.
Sources close to the situation told CNN that business leaders had been communicating with the Trump administration for months, trying to warn officials about the economic damage that could result from a surge in immigration enforcement. They kept their efforts behind the scenes because they reportedly feared retribution from the White House and backlash from conservative customers and employees. But after Pretti was killed, they felt compelled to make their stance known.
The statement was quickly criticized as "meek," particularly by lawmakers. "If they wanted this to end, they could leverage their capital to do so," Minneapolis City Council Member Aurin Chowdhury said.
“It is far from sufficient. The clear way to de-escalate is for ICE to leave,” Minnesota Rep. Mike Howard wrote on Facebook. Though he conceded, "I believe it’s a helpful step, albeit a small one.”
Tech CEOs express disapproval
Meanwhile, tech titans are privately voicing their reactions to the killings in Minnesota. In a leaked internal Slack memo, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote to employees, "What’s happening with ICE is going too far.”
“Part of loving the country is the American duty to push back against overreach,” he went on. “There is a big difference between deporting violent criminals and what’s happening now, and we need to get the distinction right.” Still, an internal message is far from a public statement, and Altman made sure to praise Trump, calling him "a very strong leader" whom he hopes will “rise to this moment and unite the country.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook took a similar approach, criticizing the operation in Minnesota in a letter to his staff, but stopping short of any condemnation of the Trump administration. Far from it — Cook wrote that he is "heartbroken by the events in Minneapolis" and said "this is a time for deescalation," but also said he "had a good conversation with the president this week where I shared my views."
Ben & Jerry's releases statement about Alex Pretti killing
The Vermont-based ice cream makers have never been afraid to speak out on hot-button issues. "We are outraged," the company wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. "Our shared humanity, our constitutional rights, and the America we believe in are at stake."
This came months after Ben & Jerry's co-founder, Jerry Greenfield, abruptly left the company due to its parent company, Unilever, silencing their statements about social justice. "For more than 20 years under [Unilever's] ownership, Ben & Jerry's stood up and spoke out in support of peace, justice, and human rights, not as abstract concepts, but in relation to real events happening in our world," Greenfield wrote on Sept. 16. However, "Ben & Jerry's has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power."
National Basketball Players Association speaks out
The basketball players' union wrote in a statement released Sunday that its athletes can "no longer remain silent."
"Now more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice." The Timberwolves also held a moment of silence for Alex Pretti before Sunday's game against the Golden State Warriors.
FIGS posts tribute to Alex Pretti
FIGS, the medical apparel company, posted an open letter on Instagram in the wake of Pretti's death. "Our hearts are with Alex, his family, his loved ones, and everyone who is grieving this unimaginable loss," it read.
"The grief, anger, fear, and exhaustion you may be feeling are real, and you are not alone in them," they said to their community. "We are feeling it too. Please know we are here with you. We see you, we appreciate you, and we’re grateful to be part of this community alongside you."
Companies that support ICE
In light of the recent killings in Minnesota, many people are wondering which companies support ICE, signalling that a boycott could be in the works. Here are some companies that are working with immigration enforcement.
Dell
Dell has an $18.8 million contract with ICE through March 2026, which "supports the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of the Chief Information Officer through the purchase of the Microsoft enterprise software licenses."
FedEx
The mail carrier was awarded $2.3 million to provide delivery services for the Department of Homeland Security. Their contract is set to end March 31, 2026 but could be extended through March 31, 2027.
AT&T
DHS gave the telecommunications corporation over $90 million to "provide ICE with network and telecommunications service delivery across ICE." The deal is set to end in September, but could be extended through July 2032.
UPS
If you were planning to boycott FedEx over its ICE associations, just know that UPS also has a (much smaller) deal with the agency. It has a deal currently worth about $64,000 for small package delivery service.
LexisNexis
To all the lawyers out there, the data analytics company used heavily by the legal profession currently holds a $21.1 million contract with ICE to provide the agency with billions of records of personal information, including real-time jail booking data. This agreement is being challenged in court.
Hootsuite
The popular social media scheduling tool came under fire when it was accused of working with ICE. The details are a bit more convoluted: The DHS has a contract with Seneca Strategic Partners, a New York-based federal government contracting business owned by the Seneca Nation. $409,345 of the $1.1 million doled out thus far was described as "social media management platform Hootsuite and support services," and was awarded in 2024.
Hootsuite's CEO Irina Novoselsky addressed the backlash in a statement. "What we are watching unfold right now is wrong," it began.
The statement confirmed that Hootsuite is providing services to ICE. "We’ve worked with government organizations across countries and administrations for more than 15 years, including the U.S. government," it read. "Our use-case with ICE does not include tracking or surveillance of individuals using our tools."
Hilton
The hotel chain found itself embroiled in controversy earlier this month for its response to a Hampton Inn (which is in the Hilton portfolio) outside Minneapolis canceled bookings for ICE agents. The drama started on Jan. 5, when the Department of Homeland Security posted a screenshot of what appeared to be an email exchange from the hotel.
"After further investigation online, we have found information about immigration work connected with your name and we will be canceling your upcoming reservation," the email read. The DHS called the move "UNACCEPTABLE" and tweeted, "Why is Hilton Hotels siding with murderers and rapists to deliberately undermine and impede DHS law enforcement from their mission to enforce our nation’s immigration laws?"
Hilton corporate and the owners of the local property released statements soon after disavowing the move. “Hilton hotels serve as welcoming places for all," a spokesperson said in a statement, "and the actions referenced are not reflective of Hilton values.” The spokesperson confirmed "that Hilton works with governments, law enforcement and community leaders around the world to ensure our properties are open and inviting to everyone."
The hotel's operators released their own statement. "We do not discriminate against any individuals or agencies and apologize to those impacted," it said. "We are committed to welcoming all guests and operating in accordance with brand standards, applicable laws, and our role as a professional hospitality provider.”
Hilton also said it was removing the hotel in question from its systems.
And earlier this week, dozens of protestors in New York City were arrested for trespassing and disorderly conduct over a demonstration held in the lobby of a Hilton Garden Inn in Tribeca. Demonstrators said ICE agents were staying at the hotel.
