Dept. of Homeland Security accuses hotel of canceling reservations for immigration agents
The Department of Homeland Security accused Hilton Hotels of canceling reservations for immigration law enforcement officials in Minnesota. But it later surfaced that the hotel is independently operated by a separate hospitality group, which apologized.
In a social media post on Monday, DHS shared redacted screenshots purporting to be of emails sent by a Hilton employee informing that they “are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property.”
“This email is in regards to the reservation you made with the Hampton Inn Lakeville property,” one email, appearing to be dated Jan. 2 at 12:45 p.m., says. “We have 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. If you are with DHS or immigration, let us know as we will have to cancel your reservation.”
The screenshots have not been independently verified by ABC News, and it’s unclear who wrote the email because the sender is redacted.
“Please pass on this info to your coworkers that we are not allowing any immigration agents to house on our property,” the note says.
In a post, DHS accused Hilton of launching “a coordinated campaign” to refuse service to DHS personnel.
“NO ROOM AT THE INN! @HiltonHotels has launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement. When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations. This is UNACCEPTABLE. Why is Hilton Hotels siding with murderers and rapists to deliberately undermine and impede DHS law enforcement from their mission to enforce our nation’s immigration laws,” DHS said on X.
A Hilton spokesperson pushed back on claims, telling ABC News the property is independently owned and that the company is investigating the incident.
"This hotel is independently owned and operated, and these actions were not reflective of Hilton values. We have been in direct contact with the hotel, and they have apologized for the actions of their team, which was not in keeping with their policies. They have taken immediate action to resolve this matter and are contacting impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated," the spokesperson said.
The company that owns the hotel, Everpeak Hospitality, apologized in a statement obtained by ABC News 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. 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," Everpeak Hospitality said.
The alleged cancellations come as multiple sources tell ABC News that DHS could be deploying as many as 2,000 agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations to conduct fraud and immigration investigations in the Twin Cities region. The Trump administration has zeroed in on accusations of fraud at Somali-run childcare centers in recent weeks.
Late last year, DHS also launched “Operation Metro Surge” to target undocumented Somali immigrants in the region.
ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.
