DHS alleges Hilton cancelled agent hotel reservations as immigration crackdown escalates in Minneapolis

The Hilton Minneapolis in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security accused global hotel chain Hilton of launching a “coordinated campaign” to refuse service to agents by cancelling their room reservations in Minneapolis as the agency readies for escalated immigration enforcement there.

Screenshots DHS posted on X on Monday afternoon appear to show emails from a Hilton address stating that immigration agents are not allowed to stay at the Hampton Inn Lakeville property, located in a suburb south of Minneapolis.

“After further investigation online, we have found information about immigration work connected with your name and we will be cancelling your upcoming reservation. You should see a proper cancellation email in your inbox shortly from Hilton,” one email reads. DHS redacted names in the screenshots.

“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 cancell your reservation,” another email says.

The Lakeville Hilton property is independently owned and operated by Everpeak Hospitality, which said in a statement on its website that the incident “was inconsistent with our policy of being a welcoming place for all,” and that they are “in touch with the impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated.”

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin rejected that statement, writing on X Monday evening that DHS and ICE haven’t heard from Everpeak Hospitality.

“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,” Hilton said in an initial statement to CNN on Monday, echoing that the Lakeville location is independently owned and operated. “They have taken immediate action to resolve this matter and are contacting impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated. Hilton’s position is clear: Our properties are open to everyone and we do not tolerate any form of discrimination.”

However, on Tuesday, Hilton issued a new statement, saying it had further concerns that the Lakeview Hilton property was “not meeting our standards,” and Hilton was therefore taking “immediate action” to remove the hotel from its system.

The statement from the hotel chain referenced a video posted by conservative influencer Nick Sortor, which appears to show Sortor speaking with an employee at the front desk of the Lakeville Hilton around 10:50 p.m. on Monday. In the video, the employee, who said he had recently spoken to the building’s owner, tells Sortor he had not been informed of a change in policy regarding “not accepting people from immigration, ICE agents, DHS,” at that point and denied Sortor’s request for ten rooms purportedly for the Department of Homeland Security.

“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,” Hilton’s Tuesday statement said.