The letter marks a shift in corporate positioning around a federal enforcement operation that has disrupted Minnesota’s business community and, according to a state lawsuit, cost some companies up to 80 percent in sales.

More than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies signed an open letter posted Sunday on the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce website calling for state, local and federal cooperation in response to an immigration enforcement operation that has fractured state politics.

The signatories included William Brown of 3M, Corie Barry of Best Buy, Jeff Harmening of General Mills, Michael Fiddelke of Target, and Stephen Hemsley of UnitedHealth.

CEOs Call for De-escalation

“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 said.

The letter represents a corporate response to an enforcement operation that has disrupted Minnesota’s business community. According to a lawsuit filed by Minnesota and the Twin Cities, the operation has cost some companies up to 80 percent in sales.

Breaking Corporate Silence

Before the letter, most of the biggest Minnesota-based companies had not issued any public statements about the federal enforcement surge and related unrest. Yet over the past two weeks, protesters have targeted businesses they see as not taking a strong enough stand against federal law enforcement activity, including Minneapolis-based Target.

The pressure came from multiple directions. Earlier in January, a Minnesota hotel refused to allow federal immigration agents to stay, then apologized and said the refusal violated its own policies after facing online criticism.

Minnesota and the Twin Cities filed a lawsuit this month asking a federal judge to halt the immigration enforcement operations, citing devastating economic impacts. The legal filing asserted that some businesses have reported sales drops up to 80 percent.

“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,” the letter concluded.