Homeland Security (Provided: Facebook)
Hilton Worldwide Holdings has removed a Lakeville, Minnesota hotel from its system that refused to accept the bookings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the hotel operator said Tuesday. A Hilton-brand Hampton Inn hotel outside Minneapolis refused to accommodate ICE agents, the Department of Homeland Security said on social media Monday. The Trump administration has increased the number of officers in the area after allegations of fraud involving Somali immigrants.
“We are taking immediate action to remove this hotel from our systems. Hilton is – and has always been – a welcoming place for all,” the company said.
Hilton made its comments after a video was posted Tuesday suggesting ICE agents were still being refused rooms at the Hampton Inn in Lakeville, after Hilton and the independent operator of the hotel apologized for an initial incident.
“A recent video clearly raises concerns that they are not meeting our standards and values,” Hilton said. In a previous statement, Hilton said the property was independently owned and operated.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the department welcomed Tuesday’s move by Hilton.
“Discriminatory business practices targeting DHS and deliberately undermining federal law enforcement are un-American and have real business consequences,” she said in a statement on X.
Everpeak Hospitality, which runs the Hampton Inn, was not immediately available for comment on the video on Tuesday. It said on Monday it was in touch with the impacted guests to ensure they were accommodated.
“We do not discriminate against any individuals or agencies and apologize to those impacted,” it said on its website.
McLaughlin said on X that the agency has not heard from Everpeak Hospitality. DHS had said on Monday that after ICE officers booked rooms using official government emails and rates, a staff member at the Hampton Inn on January 2 canceled their reservations.
“We are not allowing any ICE or immigrant agents to stay at our property,” read an email from the hotel.
Shares of the hotel operator rose 2.09% in afternoon trading, after being down 2.46% at close on Monday.
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