CorePower Yoga faces backlash after Minneapolis studio confrontation over anti-ICE signage and company response
Video from a Northeast Minneapolis studio triggers suspensions, a company statement, and a wider debate over workplace activism
A confrontation at a CorePower Yoga studio in Northeast Minneapolis has drawn national attention after a video circulating on social media showed students pressing staff members to publicly denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and to restore anti-ICE signage at the studio. The incident occurred on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, and was followed by membership suspensions and a corporate response that acknowledged the local tension while condemning aggressive conduct inside studios.
In the video, multiple customers are seen and heard challenging two staff members in the lobby area. The central demand raised during the exchange was for CorePower to take an explicit stance and for signage opposing ICE actions to be displayed. Participants referenced concerns about federal immigration enforcement activity in Minneapolis and argued that the company’s silence amounted to complicity. Staff members, for their part, appeared unprepared to address policy-level questions and described the interaction as berating.
In the days that followed, CorePower leadership in the Twin Cities sent notices to some members suspending access privileges for 90 days, citing intimidation, harassment, and a failure to de-escalate or leave a situation described as threatening. Separately, a broader message to the local community characterized the incident as involving yelling and profane language directed at employees and said the company had suspended memberships and access privileges of students involved.
A corporate communication distributed internally within the company described “confusion over studio signage related to ICE” and stated the company “does not support the violent ICE raids happening in Minneapolis.” The same message said no teachers in Minneapolis had been terminated as a result of their views related to the situation, and that CorePower had distributed “approved ICE signage” consistent with language used across the organization. The company also stated it was exploring ways to support the Twin Cities “without putting students and teachers in harm’s way,” while reiterating zero tolerance for aggressive conduct in studios.
Key points CorePower communicated after the incident included condemnation of aggressive conduct in studios, distribution of approved signage, and a statement opposing violent immigration raids in Minneapolis.
The episode highlights a recurring tension for consumer-facing businesses: how to respond when customers and staff seek public positions on political and civic issues, and how to manage disagreements in spaces designed for wellness and calm. It also raises operational questions about what guidance employees should receive when asked to speak for corporate policy in real time, and what standards should apply to membership discipline when individuals are present during a disruptive incident.
When it happened: Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 (confrontation); Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026 (community messaging and suspensions reported by members).
Where: CorePower Yoga’s Northeast Minneapolis studio.
What changed after: Membership suspensions were issued; the company stated it had distributed approved signage and publicly opposed violent ICE raids in Minneapolis.
As of Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, the video continues to circulate online, and discussion remains active among members and observers about the company’s decision-making, the appropriateness of the confrontation, and how workplaces should handle demands for political messaging.