It seems that several Motel 6 properties in the Phoenix area have been leaving the light on for La Migra. As a result “[a]t least 20 undocumented people were arrested at two Motel 6 locations between February and August.”
Clerks at “multiple” Motel 6 properties around Phoenix said they regularly share customer information with federal immigration authorities, the New Times reported. “We send a report every morning to ICE—all the names of everybody that comes in,” a front-desk clerk told the newspaper. “Every morning at about 5 o’clock, we do the audit, and we push a button, and it sends it to ICE.”
Motel 6, which was sold by Accor to Blackstone Group in 2012, has ordered the practice discontinued.
This isn’t the first time though that a Motel 6 has proactively provided guest information to law enforcement without warrant or subpeona.
[A] Motel 6 property in Warwick, R.I., acknowledged sharing its daily guest list with local police. Over a year, Warwick police arrested 75 people at the motel
..“When Motel 6 says in its ads that they’ll ‘leave the light on for you,’ most people probably don’t realize they’re talking about the light of a police siren,” the ACLU’s Rhode Island chapter said.
Motel 6 Phoenix – Northern Avenue, Credit: Motel 6
A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement refuses to say whether they have similar arrangements with other hotel chains, only noting that hotels are used in “human trafficking and human smuggling” which sounds like a yes.
Hotel guests historically have expected a great deal of privacy checking into hotels. This is a good reminder that there’s less privacy than you think.
No way in hell will I stay at a motel 6 now. Not that I ever would before. Its one thing if they believe someone is being trafficked or kidnapped. That isn’t what they are doing here. They are sending info on ALL their guests to ICE without requiring a subpoena or warrant. To hell with them.
Awesome! Send them ALL back! About time! I’ll definitely give Motel 6 more of my business.
What is the point of this article? Politics have no place in travel blogs. But since you brought it up, people who break the law, should be prosecuted and punished. Whether they speed, come to the USA illegally, or steal beer at a 7-11. If a corporation helps accomplish that, that is a good thing.
Typical trump deplorable attitude.
You’ll give Motel 6 your business until they report you in and police come for you because of something (as a trump deplorable, there is for sure something – dead beat parent, too much unpaid debt for all your guns, etc…). Then you’ll complain about Motel 6’s policy.
Ignorance is a curse (that we all pay for, as this election has proven)…
How about when corporations break the law? Motel 6 is breaking the law.
Sad to see trump deplorables with no capacity to think for themselves – as proven by the election.
@deltahater and @patty… they’re sending your information to government agents, too…
Gary, what are your thoughts on the ethics of boycotting a national chain over the practice of its worst affiliates? Would love a post.
@Patty and @Deltahater how about we send you back to Europe or wherever the hell your ancestors came from. They illegally immigrated here and brought drugs, theft, rape, and murder onto the Native Americans. Oh, that’s right, the law only applies to brown people, not the pure white man.
Shame on Motel 6, although I don’t mind if all you people actually supporting this go stay there exclusively.
MAGA
Hotels and travel providers in bed with big brother, who knew?
The best assumption is that there is no privacy and any right to it has been waived by your choice to travel, if any ever existed.
@deltahater, isn’t it the choice of the blog owner to decide what content to include?
I’ve known about this kind of practice for quite some time. While some may want to think it’s just some small, rogue franchise hotel owners/property managers/hotel staff doing this, be aware that corporations in the travel sphere are far more systematically disrespectful of their customers’ privacy than is generally recognized; and this is just one way in which customer privacy is not respected by travel service industry providers.
I guess don’t break the law or don’t stay at a Motel 6.
So: the name of EVERY guest staying in a Motel 6 (and, presumably, other hotel chains) is turned over to ICE and the Federal Government every day. We can assume all the names submitted to the Feds are run through a national database, and our movements are tracked.
I am a white-skinned Caucasian, law-abiding US citizen, so theoretically I have nothing to worry about–for now. But how this bodes for the future of our country, “with liberty and justice for all”, is frightening.
Deltahate and Patti, you both agree with the KKK….White Supremacy lives!
Illegal is illegal.
You shouldn’t fear big brother if you’ve done nothing wrong. The NSA collected warehouses full of information on American citizens under Bush and Obama, but no one seemed to really care until illegals entering our country started to be monitored more closely. Keeping it somewhat on topic, you don’t think the airlines and airports nationwide do the same thing?
So yes @amapas it is the bloggers choice to include what they want but the blog is called view from the wing…boarding area etc. let’s focus on miles how to use miles, redemptions etc. the blogger could decide to put pornography in the blog, it’s their blog. Right? Would that be ok with u? Probably not. Initiating a bunch of fanatical dialogue on both sides about politics is not what this blog is about. So for those of us that appreciate and love the content for what it’s about please let’s stay on course for that and leave all the crazy opinions on BOTH sides out of learning how to use our miles more wisely. Damn world has gone insane.
Gary, since when has this become a political discourse? Do you not have anything else to write about? The result is that you invite the kinds of comments that we have above. Stick to travel information, not politics of any kind!
Please tell us about your lengthy relationship and reviews, deal savers, point promotions and frequent stay programs of Motel 6 as a travel blogger. That is why you’re telling us all this, right? You must be SO disappointed to learn that one of your top sponsors and favorite cheap motels is violating your sense of right and wrong when it comes to reporting criminals.
Is Motel 6 reporting [deleted racist trash – gl] I applaud Motel 6 for doing the “right” thing.
Make America Great Again
The point is the government does not have the right to know where you or I are spending the night unless they’ve legally obtained a search warrant for such information. It’s breathtaking how many people want to give up all of our freedoms enumerated in the Bill of Rights because of their hatred.
Lol at everyone asking when this became a political blog. For those of you in Rio Linda, this blog has been churning out left-leaning articles ever since it became apparent that there was a slight chance that Hillary might not win. It is actually a distinct minority of boardingarea blogs that do not go out of their way to pump their liberal credentials.
You readers have to understand that leftists cannot resist the temptation to turn any kind of platform into a political one. Remember how ESPN used to be a sports channel? Same deal here.
Looks to me like Gary feels he’s gone as far as he can go with actual travel blogging, and is now trying to position himself for a gig with cnn.com, huffpo, or AP. I would say he’s got a good shot.
@SadStateofOurCountry, what law did Motel6 break?
To Neil, your racist comments does not hide the fact that you are just another bleeding heart ignorant liberal with no acceptance of alternate opinions. Your weak efforts to slander those on the right is easy to see through.
Must have attended one of the many weak liberal colleges who provide TIMEOUT ZONES to you pansies who have their sensitivities hurt.
Please go to your TIMEOUT zone where you can begin to feel better
Deltahater this has NOTHING to do about politics. But since you are so well educated like Trump, let me teach you one thing. The release of confidential information about a hotel guest to a third party (ICE) is not only illegal it is immoral.
how would it be a battered wife’s name is released to a third party (ICE, Police, etc) and the reason she is murdered or her kids are murdered. How is that POLITAL?
The Warwick Police Dept in Rhode Island REFUSED to continue to receive the list because they KNEW it was illegal for the hotel to disclose confidential guest information to a third party with out the express of that third party. the ACLU stated so and the WArwick policy know that at some point a guest would sue the hotel AND the police dept for releasing and RECEVING confidential information.
@art the next time you check into a hotel….. refuse to give them your credit card and driver’s license number.
@Wes that is really super funny, read a little closer and you will discover I’m hardly a leftist !
SadStateofOurCountry , let it go, let it go, the election is over!
Wes wasn’t super funny – Wes was 100% correct – and the fact that numerous people call you out on pushing a liberal agenda here underscores that.
@RhodeIsland – your facts are mostly true, but they’re solely because RI is so left it’s going to fall over soon. It’s owned by unions and run by corrupt politicians. It’s never seen a 9th Circuit decision it didn’t love and its capital, Providence, is a sanctuary city, despite the fact that the state is billions in debt with unfunded pension and health insurance guarantees. If anything is a study as to why Illegal immigration hurts, just look at RI. It’s sinking under the bloated need for extra services because there’s no waiting period. 1/3 of the state gets public assistance. Its teachers are among the best paid in the country, yet the standardized scores are among the worst – due in part to the large transient, non-English speaking population it attracts.
Seems only fair to say a blog owner can use whatever content he/she wants! Political in nature or not. The blog belongs to that person. If I ever follow a blog and decide I dont like the content, then I will go elsewhere. Not sure why its not that simple for some folks to comprehend. In this case, the article is very much justified. If this is a ‘travel blog’ as some have called it, then maybe you should stop and realize this was about a security of personal information issue with the hotel chain. We are happy to read about the 5-star hotel experiences, or the airport club experience but we dont want to know when a hotel chain is breaching our data security? Oh wait I get it.. the breach was targeting Mexicans so that makes it ok. SMH
Good for Motel 6..the illegals are breaking the law and need to go!!in any other country when u check into a hotel they copy ur passport and send it to the police,, We should start that practice too!!!! YES LIBERALS that is the LAW!!! Even though many liberal left wing democ rat states do not think soooooo