Hilton Ends Franchise Agreement with Minnesota Hampton Inn
Hilton recently ended its franchise deal with a Hampton Inn in Lakeville, Minnesota. This decision came after the hotel refused to accommodate federal immigration agents, leading to its removal from Hilton’s system and brand recognition.
Initially, Hilton had looked into the matter and received confirmation from the franchise owner that the situation was resolved, including a public apology. But the situation escalated when a video emerged showing the hotel still denying bookings to immigration agents. Hilton concluded that this action breached its policies on non-discrimination and inclusivity.
On Tuesday, Hilton officially announced the termination of the franchise agreement, effectively removing the hotel from its network entirely.
The day before, officials from the Trump administration and conservative groups criticized Hilton after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared an email from the Lakeville Hampton Inn on social media. This email indicated that the hotel was canceling reservations made for immigration enforcement agents just prior to a deployment.
“The independent hotel owner had assured us that they had fixed this problem and published a message confirming this,” Hilton stated on X. However, “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.”
This statement referenced footage from conservative journalist Nick Sortor, who recorded a hotel employee explaining that federal agents were not permitted on the premises.
“Hilton’s operator, Everpeak, STRAIGHT UP LIED in their statement yesterday which said they were ‘in touch’ with DHS to accommodate impacted agents, and ‘do not discriminate against any individuals or agencies,’” Sortor remarked in his post. “NONE of that was true. There was NO attempt to reach DHS agents to make it right, per Asst. DHS Sec. @TriciaOhio.”
“We’re not accepting people from immigration, ICE agents, DHS onto our property … it’s just policy,” the clerk informed Sortor in the video shared on X.
In light of ongoing investigations related to a significant childcare fraud scandal involving Somali-run daycares, over 2,000 federal employees, including many ICE and DHS officials, have been deployed to Minneapolis.
Before its expulsion from Hilton’s network, the Lakeville Hampton Inn had shown clear political bias in an email stating that federal immigration personnel were unwelcome.
“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 email stated.
After receiving this information, the DHS issued a strong statement, criticizing Hilton for its actions.
“When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations. This is UNACCEPTABLE,” the DHS statement read. “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?”
In a follow-up statement, Hilton declared it would terminate any franchisees that support anti-ICE policies.
“Hilton is – and has always been – a welcoming place for all. We are also engaging with all of our franchisees to reinforce the standards we hold them to across our system to help ensure this does not happen again.”
