Update: January 7, 2025, at 8:02 a.m. ET
The Hampton Inn in the Minneapolis area that was accused of
denying service to Department of Homeland Security and immigration agents is in
the news again, as Hilton has cut ties with the property following the release
of a video Tuesday that showed hotel officials denying another law enforcement
officer a room.
According to KTSP.com,
the Hampton Inn had issued an apology on Monday and said it was correcting the
matter, but the viral video showed the hotel was still denying service to immigration
officers.
As a result, Hilton issued a statement, saying, “The
independent hotel owner had assured us that they had fixed this problem. A
recent video clearly raises concerns that they are not meeting our standards
and values. As such, we are taking immediate action to remove this hotel from
our systems.”
Hilton has since removed the hotel from its website and app,
and the Hampton Inn’s website lists most future dates as “sold out,” indicating
that Hilton had stopped accepting bookings through its system.
Original Text
A Minneapolis Hilton cancelled the upcoming reservations of U.S. Immigrations & Customs Enforcement (ICE) workers that were traveling to the city to conduct an enforcement action.
In an email sent to the ICE agents, who are part of the Department of Homeland Security, the hotel explained that it had “noticed an influx of GOV reservations made today that have been for DHS, and we are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property.”
The same message added that: “If you are with DHS or immigration, let us know as we will have to cancel your reservation. Please pass on this info to your coworkers that we are not allowing any immigration agents to house on our property,” according a report from CNBC.
A subsequent email from the hotel, also connected to the matter, added “After further investigation online, we have found information about immigration work connected with your name and we will be cancelling your upcoming reservation.”
It is not clear exactly which Hilton in Minneapolis the incident involves. In a social media post, DHS criticized the move saying it impedes DHS law enforcement from their mission to enforce the nation’s immigration laws.
“NO ROOM AT THE INN!,” DHS said on its X social media account.
A spokesperson for the global hotel company said in its own statement that the property in question is independently owned, adding that: “Hilton hotels serve as welcoming places for all…and the actions referenced are not reflective of Hilton values.”
“We are investigating this matter with this individual hotel, and can confirm that Hilton works with governments, law enforcement and community leaders around the world to ensure our properties are open and inviting to everyone,” the global Hilton spokesperson said.
The parent company of the hotel in question issued an
apology to ABCNews.com
for the incident and said the cancellation violates their policy of being a “welcoming
place for all.”
“We are in touch with the impacted guests to ensure they are
accommodated,” Everpeak Hospitality said in a statement. “We do not
discriminate against any individuals or agencies and apologize to those
impacted. We are committed to welcoming all guests and operating in accordance
with brand standards, applicable laws, and our role as a professional
hospitality provider.”
In 2020, Hilton publicly stated that it opposed the use of its hotels in order to detain migrants, including minors.
“We believe that hotels should be places of hospitality, and the detainment of migrants, including minors, is not activity that we support or in any way want associated with our hotels,” the September 2020 statement explained.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
