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Marriott & Hilton Refuse to Be Used as ICE Detainment Facilities

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Officers arrested 271 criminal aliens last week in an enforcement action targeting individuals who pose a threat to public safety and immigration violations. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers made the arrests across the state of Florida, Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands.

Facing the prospect of being used as temporary housing for detainees of what was being billed by the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a coordinated “surge” in immigration raids and arrests, major hotel chains have taken steps to make clear they would not allow their properties to be used as temporary detention facilities.

Although immigration rights advocates say that the promised U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids planned in major cities across the country largely failed to materialize, Customs and Trump administration officials say that the coordinated surge in arrests was an unqualified triumph. President Trump himself lauded the coordinated operations as “very successful,” but cautioned that the full scope of the law enforcement action would not be immediately apparent.

“People came into our country illegally,” Trump said in comments reported by CNN. “Many were felons. Many were convicted of crimes. Many, many were taken out on Sunday. You just didn’t know about it. But you didn’t see a lot of it. I’m not sure they should be telling you, but it was a lot.”

While the magnitude of the weekend’s scheduled ICE raids may be in question, major hotel chains went out of their way to make clear they wanted nothing to do with the process. Several chains released statements saying as much after reports surfaced suggesting federal officials would seek to use hotel facilities to help process and house some detainees in the wake of the weekend’s scheduled “surge” in immigration-related arrests.

“Our hotels are not configured to be detention facilities, but to be open to guests and community members as well,” Marriott International told Skift prior to the weekend’s anticipated raids. “While we have no particular insights into whether the U.S. government is considering the use of hotels to aid in the situation at the border, Marriott has made the decision to decline any requests to use our hotels as detention facilities.”

Two of the other largest hospitality conglomerates in the country also released similar statements ahead of the planned federal law enforcement actions. The world’s second-biggest hotel company rejected the idea of cooperating with immigration officials outright.

“The wellbeing, safety and security of our guests and team members is the most important consideration for Hilton properties,” a Hilton Hotels & Resorts spokesperson said in a statement. “Our hotels are intended to be welcoming places for all. They are not designed to be used as detention centers and we reject the idea of using them for this purpose.”

Meanwhile, Choice Hotels told the immigrant advocacy group Sanctuary DMV that the very idea of using hotels for the purpose of detaining possible deportees is objectionable.

“We do not believe hotels should be used in this way and will decline any requests to do so,” the company vowed. “We ask that our franchised hotels only be used for their intended purpose, which is to provide travelers with a welcoming hotel room.”

The industry-wide move follows decisions of several North American airlines to decline to allow federal officials to transport most deportees on their commercial flights. American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Airlines each released statements refusing to participate in the process.

“Our team doesn’t want to be part of that,” American Airlines CEO Doug Parker famously said after learning the carrier was being used to separate parents from young children. “I don’t care what you’re paying us, that’s not what we do.”

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6 Comments
A
arcticflier July 31, 2019

The first 4 posts say it all.

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tromboneboss July 31, 2019

What is the point of this story? The Marriott spokesperson said they haven’t even been asked to house any illegals. There’s no mention if any of the other hotels were asked either. Your method of reporting is very misleading. You make it seem like ICE is trying use hotels but they are not.

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fotographer July 17, 2019

my parents moved here legally after years of waiting... proving that we would not cost the tax payers any money yet now , you can come across the boarder and be put up in a nice hotel.... not thanks we should not be paying for this

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UAPremierExec July 16, 2019

... and this is why they end up in "cages". When will the left figure out what they want?

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GetSetJetSet July 16, 2019

So illegal immigrants, when apprehended are put up (at taxpayers expense) in Hilton's and Marriotts and the media is telling us non-stop about the "inhumane" conditions? Is this meant to be an indictment of HIlton on the media's part? Do the detainees earn credits toward elite status?