The Department of Homeland Security posted a screenshot to X on Monday afternoon of the independently-owned Hampton Inn in Lakeville, Minnesota, cancelling all DHS room reservations.
“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,” the hotel’s email stated, according to the screenshot. “If you are with DHS or immigration, let us know as we will have to cancel your reservation.”
Within several hours, Hilton’s official newsroom said the location’s actions “were not reflective of Hilton values,” and the owners of the Lakeville hotel issued a statement saying that they “do not discriminate against any individuals or agencies” and “are committed to welcoming all guests.”
The issue received wider coverage Monday, after independent journalist Nick Sortor went to the Hampton Inn Lakeville hotel to check in.
When Sortor tried to reserve 10 rooms for the DHS, a hotel worker said, “So we’re not accepting people with immigration, ICE agents, DHS. It’s just the management — ownership."
After Sortor’s video surfaced, Hilton told Fox News they were removing the hotel from their systems.
“The independent hotel owner had assured us that they had fixed this problem and published a message confirming this,” Hilton told Fox News. “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. 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."
DHS has increased its number of officers in Minnesota in recent days, sending an additional 2,000 to the state over the weekend as part of an immigration crackdown.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told Newsmax that the department’s Enforcement and Removal Operations team and Homeland Security Investigations team were in Minneapolis on Tuesday morning.
He called the deployment “the largest immigration operation ever, taking place right now.”
Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem was also in Minneapolis Tuesday. She posted on X, “Another murderer and sexual predator off of Minneapolis’s streets thanks to @ICEgov. Just arrested this criminal illegal alien from Ecuador who has an active warrant for murder and sexual assault in Ecuador. He was convicted of robbery and extortion in Ecuador.”