Enterprise is the latest company caught in the crosshairs of anti-ICE protests.
A video showing protesters lined up outside of a Minnesota Enterprise Rent-A-Car location went viral earlier this week on TikTok, part of an “Ice out Enterprise” protest campaign.
Organizers encouraged participants to disrupt Enterprise’s operations by reserving rental cars and then canceling the bookings shortly before pickup — a tactic they say is designed to draw attention and strain vehicle availability that could be utilized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
“Enterprise is renting cars to ICE agents and profiting from the violence that agents are bringing to our communities,” Minnesota organizers associated with the Sunrise Movement, a progressive climate and social justice advocacy group, posted on social media. The post asked protestors to “please be polite to employees when you contact them.”
An Enterprise employee working the counter at one of the rental car company’s Saint Paul, Minnesota, locations confirmed to Business Insider on Friday that protesters had been calling the store. The employee declined to comment further, citing the company’s media policy.
“I’ve called and told them I was disappointed that they were collaborating with ICE,” a commenter on Instagram said.
“They answered the phone super quickly,” another added. “I was told a complaint would be logged right away.”
The viral video, which was posted on Thursday, had more than 323,000 views on TikTok as of publication. It shows a line of demonstrators holding signs reading “No cars for ICE” and “Cancel ICE contracts now.”
It’s unclear if Enterprise has any contract with ICE. Enterprise did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
The effort is part of a “week of actions” in Minnesota leading up to a “business blackout” on Friday to protest ICE’s presence in the state. The Sunrise and Sunrise Twin Cities groups didn’t respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
The video has also drawn reactions from conservative commentators on X.
“Anti-ICE leftists are now booking and canceling car reservations at Enterprise to protest them renting cars to ICE,” wrote Chaya Raichik, who operates the popular Libs of TikTik account on X, in a post with more than 208,000 views.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Business Insider in a statement that “dangerous” protest efforts had led to a rise in violence against ICE officers. “ICE officers act heroically to enforce the law and protect American communities with the utmost professionalism,” she said.
Enterprise is the latest major corporation to face consumer pressure as immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota has drawn widespread protest.
Earlier this month, Hilton removed a franchisee from its portfolio after a video that purported to show a hotel employee refusing to provide immigration enforcement officers rooms.
In a statement, the hotel chain criticized the operator and said its corporate policy was to make all locations “a welcoming place for all” and that it does “not discriminate against any individuals or agencies.”
Minneapolis-based Target has also faced heat from activists who accused the retailer of cooperating with immigration officials. The retailer denied those claims an internal memo obtained by Business Insider.
“Target does not have cooperative agreements with any immigration enforcement agency,” human resources chief Melissa Kremer wrote to employees. “We’re listening and working to de-escalate where possible.”
Enterprise, which runs around two dozen locations in the Twin Cities, is still facing calls from Minnesota-based protestors.
Read the full article here
