"It was eight weeks after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had begun searching the streets of Minneapolis for immigrants, triggering protests and clashes, when the state's business community finally issued a statement: On Jan. 25 the CEOs of 60 eminent companies via the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce called for "an immediate deescalation of tensions." By then the ICE agents had killed two U.S. citizens, Renee Good, a mother of three, and-the day before the letter was released-a registered nurse named Alex Pretti."
"Here's how those CEOs' statement was received: It was called "milquetoast," "hollow," and "meek," by commenters on social media. Many pointed out that it didn't condemn ICE or even name Good or Pretti. It didn't call for halting the enforcement operations that led to the killings, or ejecting ICE from the state. A participant in drafting that brief, bland statement tells Fortune that calibrating the message and language so that all 60 companies could get on board took two weeks."
"All of which raises a question: Is "speaking up" really worth it for business leaders? In today's political environment, should companies weigh in on major divisive events, using business's influence and high profile to tamp down violent emotions? Or has that become a no-win move? It's a judgment call that's not new to CEOs. But the ambiance was much different in 2017, when neo-Nazis marched at a white supremacist event in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a protester was killed and 14 others were injured."
"When President Trump blamed the bigotry and violence "on many sides" and said there were "very fine people on both sides," Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier immediately resigned from the American Manufacturing Council that Trump had created. Three more CEOs resigned the next day, and five more left the following day. The CEOs who left included Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, Inge Thu"
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents searched Minneapolis streets for immigrants, provoking protests and clashes. Sixty CEOs via the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce called for an immediate deescalation of tensions on Jan. 25 after ICE agents had killed two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The CEOs' statement was labeled milquetoast, hollow, and meek, and critics noted it did not condemn ICE, name the victims, halt enforcement, or call for ICE's removal. Calibrating language so all 60 companies agreed took two weeks. The episode raises whether business leaders should weigh in on divisive events, given risks of appearing conciliatory or taking costly stands as in 2017 Charlottesville resignations.
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