MINNEAPOLIS — The ICE crackdown — a surge in activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — has thinned crowds at immigrant-run restaurants and shops along Lake Street, with some owners cutting hours or closing as customers and workers stay home. After an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, 37, Jan. 7, small businesses say fear has become part of the workday, Jan. 17, 2026.
A Jan. 16 Reuters report from south Minneapolis described “No ICE” signs in windows and staff screening entrances, while major Minnesota-based corporations remained largely quiet about the ICE crackdown and what it means for employees and nearby neighborhoods. Federal officials have defended the operation, while local leaders and owners say the ICE crackdown is disrupting daily life and commerce.
How the ICE crackdown is squeezing Lake Street storefronts
Owners say the ICE crackdown has hit two basics of neighborhood commerce: foot traffic and staffing. Some customers avoid dining in, and some workers are reluctant to commute or run errands that could draw attention, leaving small shops to shorten hours, reassign shifts or operate with skeleton crews.
At Pineda Tacos, employees have tried to control who enters to avoid surprise raids, according to Reuters. Owner Luis Reyes Rojas described contingency planning in blunt terms: “We have plan A, plan B and plan C.” He added, “We don’t know how much longer we can endure this.”
Corporate silence and a familiar contrast
Small-business owners and advocates say the frustration is not just with the federal presence; it is with the lack of clear public guidance from large employers whose workers live in the same communities. They say companies do not have to pick a partisan side to acknowledge the ICE crackdown — but workers want clarity about safety, workplace protocols and when agents need a judicial warrant.
That silence stands out in Minneapolis because corporate leaders spoke quickly after George Floyd’s death in 2020. An Axios report from May 2020 highlighted Target CEO Brian Cornell’s statement during the unrest and the retailer’s decision at the time to temporarily close two dozen Twin Cities stores.
The current ICE crackdown also follows earlier flashpoints on Lake Street. In August 2025, Sahan Journal reported on a city audit of a June 2025 federal operation at a Lake Street taqueria that drew protesters and left city officials struggling to share timely information — a reminder, advocates say, that uncertainty can escalate fear even before an arrest is made.
Investigations after Good’s death
Good’s death remains under federal investigation, and state officials have pushed for transparency. In a Jan. 8 statement, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said it withdrew from a planned joint inquiry because it lacked access to evidence and interviews needed for an independent review, while offering to help preserve video and other material.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported the Justice Department is investigating whether Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey impeded immigration enforcement through public statements, as federal officials describe the Twin Cities operation as the department’s largest recent immigration enforcement effort.
For now, the ICE crackdown is leaving many Minneapolis storefronts caught between compliance, safety and survival — and raising a question small-business owners say big brands cannot avoid forever: What responsibility do employers have when fear becomes part of the workday?
