The Department of Homeland Security on Monday accused the Hilton hotel company of a “coordinated campaign” to refuse service to its law enforcement officers in Minneapolis.
A post on the official Homeland Security X account said that Hilton “maliciously canceled” reservations made at the Hampton Inn Lakeville Minneapolis, in a suburb about 25 miles south of Minneapolis, by officers using government emails and trying to book special nightly rates. The post included an image of an email with the sender and recipient redacted that stated the property would not host immigration agents.
“This is unacceptable,” the post reads, going on to say that the hotel was helping to “undermine and impede D.H.S. law enforcement from their mission to enforce our nation’s immigration laws.”
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement in Minnesota, deploying scores of agents, who detained more than 600 people in the state last month. The government says the state’s Democratic leaders have supported policies that encouraged illegal immigration.
In early December, President Trump railed against Somali immigrants, calling them “garbage” and saying they should return to where they came from. Minnesota is home to a large Somali community.
Hilton, a global hospitality company, encompasses more than 25 hotel brands, including Hampton Inn. As is the case with many branded hotels, the Hampton Inn in Lakeville is independently owned and operated, a Hilton spokesperson said via email, adding that the actions described by Homeland Security were not “reflective of Hilton values.” The company is investigating the incident, the spokesperson added.
Everpeak Hospitality, which operates the Lakeville Hampton Inn, wrote in an emailed statement that it was in touch with the affected guests to ensure they are accommodated.
“We do not discriminate against any individuals or agencies and apologize to those impacted,” the statement reads.
Immigrant-rights activists in Minnesota have responded to the increased presence of immigration agents with deliberate efforts to make them feel unwelcome, including protesting late at night outside hotels where they suspect agents are staying.
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Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel.
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