Opinion | Fear is bad for business. Minnesota leaders can’t stay silent.

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Business leaders across Minnesota are navigating an increasingly difficult moment. Many are trying to do right by their companies, employees, customers and communities while feeling caught between competing pressures, unclear expectations and real fears about saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

That tension is understandable. Leadership today carries real legal, reputational and political risks. But there are moments when silence itself begins to carry weight. What is happening in our communities is no longer abstract — it has entered workplaces, lunch rooms and factory floors. Employees are asking quiet questions. Managers are unsure how to respond. Trust, one of the most fragile and essential assets in any organization, is being eroded.

The silence from many Minnesota business leaders has been deafening, not because leaders don’t care, but because fear narrows choices — fear of retribution, misinterpretation or stepping into controversy that feels impossible to navigate. These concerns are valid, yet leadership has always required moving forward together even without certainty. When a 17-year-old U.S. citizen is reportedly removed from his job because of the color of his skin and a major employer offers no response, people notice. When enforcement actions create fear that spills far beyond their stated targets, workplaces feel it immediately. This is no longer political; it is human, and it is economic.

Employees are not asking for perfection or radical statements. They are looking for reassurance that leaders see what is happening, understand the fear it creates, and are willing to say that stability, fairness, empathy and trust matter. Fear is not just a social cost — it is a business one. And fear is bad for business.

We’ve drafted more statements than we can remember over the years, often advising others on when — and when not — to speak, and what business moves to make. We’ve seen firsthand how moments like this affect morale, retention, productivity and trust inside organizations, and how quickly uncertainty can translate into real economic risk. This feels different because it is different. Leaders don’t need perfect language, but they need to say something.

Minnesota’s business community believes in the rule of law and the importance of public safety. We also believe that how laws are enforced matters — to workers, to employers and to the economic health of our communities.

Recent ICE enforcement actions in Minneapolis have caused widespread disruption for law-abiding individuals and businesses that are essential to our local economy. These actions have created fear far beyond their stated targets, disrupted workplaces and neighborhoods, and introduced instability into industries that depend on trust, continuity and predictability. The loss of life connected to these operations makes clear that the stakes are high.

Minnesota businesses rely on a stable workforce and a climate where people can show up, do their jobs and contribute to the economy without fear. When enforcement actions are perceived as indiscriminate or destabilizing, the impact extends well beyond immigration policy — affecting small businesses, service industries, supply chains and local commerce.

We urge federal leaders to pause, assess and recalibrate. A pro-business agenda requires enforcement approaches that are measured, targeted, and mindful of economic consequences. Accountability and economic vitality are not competing goals — but achieving both requires restraint and clarity.

Minnesota’s business community stands ready to engage in constructive dialogue that upholds the law while protecting the people and businesses that keep our state working.

We don’t have to brave this moment alone. Minnesota businesses have long known how to act collectively when shared values and shared risks are at stake — and this is the moment to do so, because fear left unaddressed is a cost none of us can afford.