AFT launches back-to-school boycott of Target over ICE operations
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has launched a nationwide back-to-school boycott of Target, urging its 1.8 million members and their families to shop elsewhere until the retail giant takes a stand against ICE operations in Minnesota, where Target is headquartered.
AFT President Randi Weingarten announced the campaign, which directs consumers to the union's 'Shop Smart, Not Target' website that maps alternative shopping destinations. The initiative was formally launched Wednesday after the union sent letters to Target CEO Michael Fiddelke in February and March.
'We gave Target ample time to stand with the communities in which they operate and help their neighbors, but its silence about federal immigration abuses has been deafening,' Weingarten said in a statement. She went on to reference the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renée Good, saying that 'Seven months since the murders of Alex Pretti and Renée Good, masked ICE agents are still in our streets, our schools and our communities, terrorizing families in the name of Donald Trump's illegal and immoral assault on immigrants.'
Criticism and calls for federal scrutiny
The boycott has drawn sharp criticism from education advocates and prompted calls for federal investigations. Corey DeAngelis, a Heritage Foundation research fellow, told Fox News Digital that the union's use of pension influence against Target raises fiduciary concerns. He noted that AFT members' pension funds own 6.79 million shares of Target stock, which Weingarten has leveraged to pressure the company. 'This partisan war on Target smells like a breach of fiduciary duty,' DeAngelis said, calling for a Department of Justice investigation into the AFT's use of pension funds and political influence.
DeAngelis also supplied Fox News Digital with a chart tracking Target's closing share price against various AFT actions.
Sonja Shaw, a candidate for California superintendent of public instruction and board president of the Chino Valley Unified School District, criticized union leadership as a 'political machine' and argued that students are falling behind. She cited California's latest statewide assessments, which showed 48.8% of students met or exceeded English language arts standards and 37.3% met or exceeded math standards.
Broader political and legal scrutiny
The boycott has also attracted attention from federal lawmakers. Sen. Eric Schmitt appealed in July to the Labor Department to investigate whether AFT leaders coordinated with retirement-plan fiduciaries to use members' assets for political objectives. Additionally, House lawmakers have demanded answers about reports that member dues financed Weingarten's book 'Why Fascists Fear Teachers' while she received royalties.
These developments come amid broader debates about union political activities and the financial pressures on teachers. According to a 2025 teacher spending survey, teachers spend an average of $895 of their own money annually on supplies for their students.
ICE and DHS respond
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Department of Homeland Security rejected the AFT's characterization of ICE. An ICE spokesperson said, 'ICE enforces federal immigration laws, protects public safety, and conducts enforcement pursuant to federal laws and applicable agency policies. Target is not a sensitive location.' The spokesperson added that while current policy provides guidance for officers and recognizes that enforcement actions in or near protected areas require consideration of circumstances, 'ICE will continue to conduct lawful actions wherever necessary to protect the American people.'
The spokesperson further stated that ICE did not target schools and called the AFT's statement a false narrative, citing a 1,300% increase in assaults and an 8,000% increase in death threats against ICE officers. 'This is just another false narrative,' the spokesperson said, adding that 'ICE is not going to schools to arrest children—we are protecting children.'