Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), has been caught on video leveraging teachers' hard-earned retirement funds to bully retail giant Target into opposing President Trump's immigration enforcement efforts.

The clip, unearthed by Stu Smith, an investigative analyst at the Manhattan Institute, reveals Weingarten's aggressive tactics during a recent call with activist groups like Sunrise Movement, Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).

Weingarten boasts about writing to Target on February 1, 2026, on behalf of teacher retirement systems holding about 7 million shares of the company's stock.

She admits to prioritizing a meeting with Target's leadership over supporting an active teacher strike in San Francisco, demanding that the corporation publicly declare "ICE out of Minnesota" in opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

When Target's executives expressed a preference for handling the matter privately, Weingarten escalated, comparing their stance to how corporations dealt with "autocrats" in history.

Weingarten weaponizes union resources to advance her far-left agenda against the Trump administration's border security measures. She explicitly states the goal is to "untether" businesses from the administration through escalating "corporate campaigns," diverting focus from real classroom crises like low standards, student discipline issues, and academic failures.

It's absurd for a teachers' union leader to play corporate enforcer, using members' pensions as political leverage instead of fighting for better schools and safer learning environments.

Conservatives have long criticized teachers' unions for prioritizing politics over pupils, and this video is Exhibit A.

Teachers deserve a union focused on their needs, not one entangled in immigration battles that have nothing to do with educating America's children.

Teachers who don't want their paychecks going towards political agendas pushed by people like Randi Weingarten should opt out of her union.

Thanks to the 2018 Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME, public sector workers can no longer be forced to pay union dues or fees—they can keep every penny for themselves without losing their jobs or benefits.

The AFT funnels millions in member dues into far-left causes, and while teachers deal with classroom challenges on an average salary far below hers, Weingarten rakes in about half a million dollars a year in total compensation.

Opting out is a powerful way to ensure their hard-earned money supports their priorities as educators—not her political games and lavish lifestyle. They can also join the Teacher Freedom Alliance for free to access resources and support for opting out and advocating for educational freedom.