Summary:
- Hilton removed the Hampton Inn in Lakeville, MN.
- Trump officials accused Hilton of denying DHS staff service.
- The hotel is reportedly owned by four Indian-American partners.
HILTON WORDLWIDE HOLDINGS said it is removing the Hampton Inn in Lakeville, Minnesota, from its franchise system after it repeatedly denied rooms to Department of Homeland Security staff. The hotel is operated by Everpeak Hospitality reportedly owned by four Indian American partners.
The controversy emerged last week after emails shared by DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement on social media alleged that hotel staff rejected federal officers’ reservations.
“After further investigation online, we have found information about immigration work connected with your name and will be cancelling your upcoming reservation,” one message, dated Jan. 2, read.
“We are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property,” another message read.
Everpeak later said it would continue to welcome all guests and agencies in line with brand standards and the law.
“Everpeak Hospitality has moved swiftly to address this matter as it was inconsistent with our policy of being a welcoming place for all,” the statement published on their website reads. “We are in touch with the impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated.”
“We do not discriminate against any individuals or agencies and apologize to those impacted,” the company said. “We are committed to welcoming all guests and operating in accordance with brand standards, applicable laws and our role as a professional hospitality provider.”
The four partners, Parmjit Singh, Amanpreet Hundal, Karandeep Nagra and Mohinderjeet Kaur, purchased the hotel in question last year for $15 million through an LLC, according to The Times of India.
Video contradicts assurances
A video reportedly shot late Monday night by conservative social media personality Nick Sortor appeared to contradict those claims. It showed a person behind the hotel’s check-in desk denying rooms to a man who said he was attempting to book accommodations for DHS agents.
“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 wrote on X. “NONE of that was true. There was NO attempt to reach DHS agents to make it right, per Asst. DHS Sec Tricia McLaughlin. Even the FRONT DESK manager said he had spoken with the owner shortly before I walked in around 10:50 p.m., and confirmed the ANTI-DHS POLICY REMAINED IN EFFECT.”
‘Violation of policy’
Trump administration officials accused Hilton of orchestrating a broader effort to deny service to DHS employees.
“Hilton has launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement,” said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary. “When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations. This is UNACCEPTABLE.”
Hilton apologized Monday, calling the incident a violation of company policy.
“The independent hotel owner had assured us that they had fixed this problem and published a message confirming this,” a Hilton spokesperson said. “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,” the statement also said. “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.”
Meanwhile, the incident comes amid a surge of DHS activity in Minneapolis, where the Trump administration is reportedly deploying up to 2,000 agents in a crackdown on migrants.
Separately, The Indian American Advocacy Council urged the FBI to investigate a rise in hate speech and violent rhetoric targeting Indians.
