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Furniture retailer Wayfair have been inundated with criticism after it was revealed that the company fulfilled a contract to supply bedding to US border camps.
Earlier in the week, employees found out that Wayfair had sold $200,000 worth of beds to a Texas detention camp that is expected to house up to 3,000 detained migrant children.
Concern has been steadily mounting over the welfare of those detained in detention with 300 children removed from a different Texas border camp this week among reports of “appalling conditions.”
A letter signed by 547 of Wayfair’s Boston headquarters employees demanded that the company stop its partnership with the government contractor to provide beds for detained immigrants.
“We believe the current actions of the United States and their contractors at the Southern border do not represent an ethical business partnership Wayfair should choose to be a part of,” the letter said.
In addition to ending the contract, employees requested that the company donate the $86,000 profit they made from the deal to Raices, a not-for-profit immigration legal service focusing on reuniting families and children separated at the border.
Raices has said they will gladly accept the donation.
Wayfair issued a response to employees via email that detailed their refusal to end the contract.
“We believe that it is our business to sell to any customer who is acting within the law of the countries within which we operate,” the email reads.
“This does not indicate support for the opinions or actions of the groups or individuals who purchase from us.”
In response to the dismissive email, hundreds of Wayfair employees have planned a walkout on Wednesday afternoon at company headquarters.
The protest has attracted a number of high-profile supporters included Democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren and New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
An ill-timed post by the official Wayfair Twitter has incited ire from the public as users pressure the company to rethink their decision.
In 2015, Wayfair sold its Australian online retail arm to Temple & Webster with their products being available to purchase through the retailer.
