Hilton’s stock price fell by around 2% on Monday after the Trump administration accused the hospitality giant of abruptly cancelling reservations made by ICE agents over their involvement in immigration enforcement actions.
Shares of Hilton recovered at the start of trading on Tuesday as the stock rose 0.6%. As of 10 a.m. Eastern Time, it was trading at around $288 per share.
The Department of Homeland Security accused the hotel chain of denying service to ICE agents on the ground in Minnesota, where they were deployed to investigate claims of rampant fraud allegedly perpetrated by members of the Somali immigrant community.
“NO ROOM AT THE INN!” read a post on DHS’ official X account from Monday.
The department accused Hilton of having “launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement.”
“When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations,” DHS alleged.
“This is UNACCEPTABLE. 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?”
DHS attached a screenshot of an email dated Jan. 2. The screenshot indicated that a Hilton rep informed the recipient that the company would be “cancelling your upcoming reservation” after “we have found information about immigration work connected with your name and will be cancelling your upcoming reservation.”
“You should see a proper cancellation email in your inbox shortly from Hilton,” the screenshotted email read.
Another screenshot shows a message purportedly from Hilton that stated: “This email is in regards to the reservation you made with the Hampton Inn Lakeville property.”
“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 read.
“Please pass on this info to your coworkers that we are not allowing any immigration agents to house on our property.”
A Hilton rep told CNBC that the hotel in question was “independently owned and operated” and that “these actions were not reflective of Hilton values.”
“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,” the Hilton spokesperson said.
“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.”
Hampton Inn Lakeville Minneapolis is not owned by Hilton corporate. It is a franchise property that is independently owned and operated under the Hampton by Hilton brand.
Hilton provides the brand and reservation system at the inn and sets the standards, but day-to-day operations and ownership decisions are handled by Everpeak Hospitality and its ownership group.
An Everspeak rep told CNBC: “Everpeak Hospitality has moved swiftly to address this matter as it was inconsistent with our policy of being a welcoming place for all.”
“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 spokesperson added. “We are committed to welcoming all guests and operating in accordance with brand standards, applicable laws, and our role as a professional hospitality provider.”
In September 2020, during the first Trump administration, Hilton said it opposed using its hotels to detain migrants, including minors.
The statement followed reports that an independently-owned Hampton Inn & Suites in McAllen, Texas, had taken reservations from a private contractor working with ICE to house migrants.
“This is not activity that we support or in any way want associated with our hotels,” Hilton stated in July 2020.
“Our policy has always been that hotels should not be used as detention centers or for detaining individuals. We expect all Hilton properties to reject business that would use a hotel in this way.”
The Post has sought comment Everspeak Hospitality and Hilton.
