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Members of the Chicago Teachers Union filmed themselves protesting federal immigration enforcement and anti-DEI measures at a local Target on Friday, sparking criticism both online and from experts who spoke to Fox News Digital.
In a video posted on Tuesday by the union, members can be seen entering a Chicago area target holding anti-ICE signs, harassing employees, and demanding answers about whether Target will "protect" its employees from ICE.
"As a private business, Target has a choice," the post said. "They can use their Fourth Amendment rights and post signs that demand ICE show warrants to enter their building. Instead, they’ve allowed harm to their employees and customers, while continuing to roll back DEI commitments and bow to pressure from the Trump administration."
The post resulted in criticism in most of the replies on social media.
"The CTU can’t help itself — they feel compelled to weigh in on every political issue," Teacher Freedom Alliance posted on X. "And they bankroll these so-called ‘protests’ with your tax dollars."
Erika Donalds, America First Policy Institute's chair of education opportunity, told Fox News Digital that the statement made by the union "tells you everything about the goals of today’s teachers unions."
"They’re harassing retailers and pushing radical politics instead of doing the job they’re paid to do: advocate for the best education for our nation’s children. While kids are falling behind in reading and math, union leaders are staging protests over immigration enforcement. They don’t speak for teachers, they don’t serve students, and at this point they barely even pretend to care about education."
Nicole Neily, founder and president of Defending Education, told Fox News Digital the union priorities aren't in line with what's best for students.
"Union thugs bullying hourly employees in Target stores isn't brave or just — it's naked intimidation of people who are simply trying to earn a paycheck," Neily said.
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"The Chicago Teachers Union lost the plot a long time ago, and this is yet another example of their skewed priorities. While the CTU clout-chases on X, two-thirds of Chicago Public Schools students can't read at grade level, and 4 out of 5 children can't do math at grade level."
Fox News Digital reached out to the union for comment.
Earlier this month, CTU faced blowback from the Washington Post for pursuing social justice initiatives in its school district even as student reading and math proficiency continues to decline.
In an editorial, the Post took aim at the CTU's New Year's resolutions posted to X on Monday. The union stated that its resolution is to "speak truth to power," and it committed to "defending Black and brown and immigrant communities who are targeted by federal agents," as well as "fighting back against an administration trying to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and roll back civil rights protections."
"Those are lofty goals in a school district that can hardly teach kids to read and write," the Post quipped. "In 2025, 43 percent of Chicago’s third through eighth grade students were reading at grade level.
Fox News Digital’s Marc Tamasco contributed to this report.
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