A confrontation at a Minneapolis convenience store has sparked an investigation by the GSA into 7‑Eleven’s handling of federal personnel, raising questions about government vendor compliance and service continuity amid politically sensitive environments.
On 21 January 2026 a routine refuelling stop near Minneapolis became the centre of a federal compliance dispute after Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and accompanying agents were turned away at a Speedway con...
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venience store owned by 7‑Eleven. Video shared online by independent journalist Cam Higbie shows a store manager telling the agents, “I don’t support ICE, and nobody here does,” after which the group left without making purchases.
The episode has attracted scrutiny from the General Services Administration, which on 5 February sent a formal letter to 7‑Eleven Chief Operating Officer Doug Rosencrans seeking details of any internal inquiry, employee training and company policy related to service of federal personnel. According to reporting by Fox News and other outlets, the GSA warned that 7‑Eleven’s continued participation in the federal SmartPay fleet‑card programme could be put at risk if the company fails to demonstrate appropriate controls.
SmartPay fleet cards are a central procurement tool for non‑tactical federal vehicles. The GSA training material notes the card is accepted at roughly 95% of US fuel stations and at some 45,000 service sites across the United States, territories and Canada, and is intended to cover fuel and authorised maintenance for government vehicles. The GSA also distinguishes centrally billed accounts from individually billed accounts and sets clear rules about what purchases are permitted and what are not, underscoring the program’s operational role for agencies that depend on reliable access to fuel and basic supplies.
Government procurement leverage, rather than criminal enforcement, is the main instrument available to officials seeking a corporate response. The administration’s intervention frames the matter as a question of whether government personnel can depend on vendors to provide nondiscriminatory service when operating in localities where attitudes toward immigration enforcement are sharply divided. According to coverage in National Today and other outlets, advocates for stronger enforcement of procurement standards argue the federal government must ensure mission continuity even in politically contentious environments.
Local reporting and commentary have placed the Minneapolis incident in a wider context of clashes between federal immigration officers and community actors in the city. Some stories point to earlier episodes in the metro area, including a Hampton Inn in Lakeville removed from a GSA lodging list following an alleged refusal to house immigration agents and a franchise‑level McDonald’s that displayed “ICE/CBP not welcome” signage before corporate managers intervened. Those accounts have informed the GSA’s request for documentation that systemic safeguards exist beyond isolated public‑relations apologies.
What is clear from the material issued so far is the basic chronology: the January encounter, the circulation of the video, and the GSA’s 5 February demand for information. What remains unsettled in the public record is how 7‑Eleven’s corporate leadership will formally respond, whether the company will produce evidence of remedial training or policy changes, and what determinations the GSA will reach about SmartPay acceptance at affected locations.
Industry observers and legal analysts note that the GSA’s options are largely administrative: suspend or revoke a vendor’s access to government payment instruments, remove properties from approved lodging lists, or impose contractual conditions. According to the GSA’s own programme guidance, SmartPay participation carries obligations about the types of transactions permitted and the expectation that vendors provide consistent service to authorised federal users.
Until 7‑Eleven issues a substantive public reply or the GSA concludes its review, the dispute will remain an open compliance matter with potential implications for how federal agencies secure routine logistical support in jurisdictions where local sentiment may be hostile to particular federal missions.
Source: Noah Wire Services
