For some immigrant Latinos, signing their name on the Motel 6 guest list was like signing their deportation warrant. After provoking six deportations, many arrests, and leaking the private information of at least 9,000 guests, Washington’s attorney general filed a lawsuit against Motel 6 on January 3rd.
The lawsuit calls out the renowned hotel chain for giving out guest lists with personal information to ICE agents. This practice took place in at least six different Motel 6 locations and occurred on a near-daily basis in some of them. The method dates back to at least 2015.
ICE agents would visit the motels early in the morning or late at night and received a list including guests’ driver’s license number, room number, date of birth, and license plate number. After receiving the list, officers would circle any Latino-sounding names and would return to their vehicles.
The lawsuit alleges the company violated the Consumer Protection Act, as well as state laws against discrimination based on national origin. They hope to amass as much as $2,000 per guest whose rights were violated.
Motel 6 apologized and issued a directive against the practice to over 1,400 locations, stating “that they are prohibited from voluntarily providing daily guest lists to ICE.” In a statement released on the same day the lawsuit was filed, Raiza Rehkoff, a spokeswoman for Motel 6’s parent company, G6 Hospitality, added:
“Motel 6 takes this matter very seriously, and we have and will continue to fully cooperate with the Office of the State Attorney General.”
ICE will not get held accountable since it does not comment on the “source of its enforcement leads.” ICE spokeswoman Danielle Bennett had the following to say about the matter:
“The agency’s immigration enforcement actions are targeted and lead-driven, prioritizing individuals who pose a risk to our communities. It’s worth noting that hotels and motels have frequently been exploited by criminal organizations engaged in highly dangerous illegal enterprises, including human trafficking and human smuggling.”
This article was inspired by THE WASHINGTON POST // Motel 6 gave guest lists to ICE agents looking for ‘Latino-sounding’ names, lawsuit alleges