DHS Blasts Minnesota Hilton After Hotel Cancels ICE Bookings, Sparking National Uproar
A Hilton-branded hotel in Lakeville, Minnesota canceled reservations for federal immigration enforcement agents, and the dispute is now drawing national attention.
The Department of Homeland Security publicly shared emails indicating a Hilton property told officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and DHS that their reservations were being canceled because of their agency work, triggering widespread backlash.
In the screenshots posted by DHS, the hotel appears to state it would not allow “any ICE or immigration agents” to stay, and that reservations made through government emails would be canceled.
Hilton Worldwide Holdings responded that the Hampton Inn by Hilton Lakeville is independently owned and operated and that the cancellation messages were not reflective of company policy.
Hilton has now taken the rare step of removing the franchise from its system and says it is reinforcing brand standards across its properties to prevent similar disputes.
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“This hotel is independently owned and operated, and these actions are not reflective of Hilton values,” a Hilton spokesperson said in a statement.
The controversy matters because it pits federal law enforcement agencies against a major global hospitality brand over discrimination and corporate policy, fueling political debate online.
Hilton and Everpeak Hospitality are reaching out to the displaced guests to re-accommodate them, while critics on both sides continue to amplify the dispute on social media.
What happens next…
That includes possible legal questions about discrimination and how franchised hotels manage guest acceptance policies.
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