Hilton has dropped a Minneapolis-area hotel from its booking system after the property cancelled reservations for ICE officers, a move the Department of Homeland Security blasted as an improper refusal of service tied to immigration enforcement.
The hotel, a Hampton Inn branded under Hilton, had been the subject of a public dispute after DHS said ICE officers tried to book rooms using official government email addresses and government rates, only to have their reservations cancelled once the hotel staff noticed they wanted to do immigration work.
DHS shared screenshots and one message told a guest that, after “further investigation online,” the hotel had found “information about immigration work connected with your name” and would be cancelling the reservation. Another message said, “We are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property.”
Hilton said Tuesday, per Reuters, it removed the property from its system after reviewing what happened and concluding the hotel’s actions violated brand standards. The company also emphasized that the hotel was independently owned and operated, a reminder of how most major hotel brands function, with corporate names licensed to franchisees who run day-to-day operations.
DHS described the cancellations as deliberate obstruction, and in its statement, the department said it was unacceptable for officers to be turned away while carrying out federal duties. The agency has also pointed to a video circulating online that appeared to show immigration agents being denied rooms at the hotel, an image that added gasoline to an already heated political fight.
Everpeak Hospitality, the company that manages the property, issued its own statement attempting to contain the damage. Everpeak said the incident did not reflect its policies, apologized to the affected guests, and said it was working to ensure they were accommodated elsewhere. DHS, however, said it had not yet heard directly from the company at the time the dispute went public.
Hilton sent the message that all guests are welcome, and the conduct described in the emails was not acceptable under the brand’s rules. By removing the hotel from its system, Hilton effectively severed the most valuable part of the relationship, the ability to market and sell rooms under a major flag.
NO ROOM AT THE INN!@HiltonHotels has 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.
This is… pic.twitter.com/qKMKypGtzi
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 5, 2026
Federal officials have surged immigration and investigative resources to the Minneapolis area in connection with fraud allegations involving Somali immigrants, an effort that has drawn intense attention from both supporters of the crackdown and critics who say the enforcement posture is spilling into intimidation. Against that backdrop, even routine logistics like hotel blocks for government personnel have become politically charged.
The hotel dispute also illustrates how quickly a local decision can become a national flashpoint when it touches immigration enforcement. What might otherwise be handled quietly between a franchise operator and a corporate brand became a public confrontation once DHS amplified the emails and presented the cancellations as targeted hostility toward federal agents.
Hilton’s decision to cut ties with the property is rare, but it is also a message to the rest of its franchise network. The brand is clearly trying to stray away from the politics and all the headlines that come with it.
