By Jordan Wilcox
Assistant Publisher
On Friday, Jan. 23, thousands of Minnesotans participated in an “ICE Out” Day of Action, involving rallies, marches, and protests against the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good.
Organized by labor and faith leaders, the movement called on local businesses and labor unions to strike for the day in an effort to create an “economic blackout” across the state.
Broken Arrow Recycling is a recycling center and scrapyard located just outside of Allegan at 1100 Lincoln Road. Last week, the company’s vice president and co-founder, Eddie Walker, announced on the company’s Facebook page that Broken Arrow would be participating in the Day of Action.
“Friday, January 23rd is Minnesota’s Day of Action,” Walker wrote. “Minnesotans are calling for a statewide demonstration to protest increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, as well as the inhumane and unjust treatment of both non-citizens and citizens — but this should go beyond state borders. Broken Arrow Recycling will be participating, and we encourage all to do the same. No work. No school. No shopping. It’s a pause in all economic activity. Yes, it will be uncomfortable. Yes, this will cause our business financial stress. But change is not about being comfortable, and change is what we need.”
Walker continued, “We are standing with them to support immigrant communities facing unfair and dehumanizing treatment at the hands of DHS and ICE, and to put dignity, justice, and community over profit. We believe real change starts when we collectively step back and say ENOUGH.”
Broken Arrow’s decision immediately drew criticism from some local residents, who flooded the company’s Facebook page with negative comments. Among them were remarks such as, “So, you stand for lawlessness. Good to know,” “Your statement and action is exceedingly ignorant,” and “Thanks for letting us know who to never use.” One commenter even called for a total boycott of the recycler.
Walker remained firm in his stance. In a Thursday news segment on WZZM 13, he said that although closing for a day would affect the company’s bottom line, all 11 employees would still be paid.
Walker also told WZZM 13 that “as a business owner, it’s important to understand that businesses are not neutral…we are not neutral because we depend on our communities every day, for labor, for customers, for infrastructure, and so when we see that our communities are being targeted, it’s important that we stand up and we try to protect our community.” “If we stay silent and only focus on profit, then we’re part of the problem.”
A second Facebook post was shared on Friday, reminding customers to “stand with us, on this Day of Action.”
By that point, the negative comments on the original post had been met with an equal number of supportive responses, a trend that continued in the comments on the second post.
Many commenters thanked the company for what they described as courage and bravery in supporting their neighbors, immigrants, and “what is right and just.” Others expressed interest in becoming new customers and asked whether Broken Arrow Recycling services their communities.
As debate continues both locally and nationally over immigration enforcement and the role of businesses in social movements, Broken Arrow Recycling’s decision highlights how those discussions are increasingly playing out not only in legislatures and courts, but within local communities and small businesses too.
