A Hilton hotel near Minneapolis was put on blast by the Department of Homeland Security on Monday for refusing to honor reservations for ICE agents. After an online firestorm, Hilton Hotels got involved and spoke to the property’s owner, who was forced to put out a statement saying that ICE agents would be welcome on property. But they continued to refuse bookings for the Department of Homeland Security.
UPDATE: In an additional statement to @FoxNews, Hilton says they’ve been directly in touch the independent ownership of the hotel & they have apologized for the actions of their team & have taken immediate action to rectify the situation.
Statement from Everpeak (ownership). pic.twitter.com/lVduljeS1d
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 5, 2026
However, after the hotel put out this statement a citizen journalist showed up at the hotel looking to make a reservation under a government rate, suggesting it would be for the Department of Homeland Security.
- They were refused the booking
- And the front desk clerk said they’d spoken with the owner within the past ’15 minutes’ confirming they’re not to accept DHS employees as guests.
BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: I went into the Minnesota Hilton who “apologized” for banning DHS agents, and EXPOSED them for CONTINUING to ban DHS agents@HiltonHotels has decided they want the FULL BUDLIGHT treatment at this point.
Hilton’s operator, Everpeak, STRAIGHT UP LIED in… pic.twitter.com/3g97P7okpz
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 6, 2026
Hilton Hotels, for its part, now says the hotel is being removed from the system.
Statement from Hilton on a recent video pic.twitter.com/W8DWUTWD7f
— Hilton Newsroom (@HiltonNewsroom) January 6, 2026
They’re also forcing all franchisees to honor reservations for ICE agents, because Hilton “is – and always has been – a welcoming place for all.”
In fact, during the first Trump administration, Marriott, Hilton, and Choice hotels refused to serve as detention centers to temporarily house people picked up in immigration raids.
Hilton also told the federal government to stop using its hotels to house children detained at the border. Although some Hilton properties continued housing migrant families early in the Biden administration.
Now, though, anti-ICE protests may resonate in Minneapolis but don’t travel as well nationally. And businesses are afraid of the Trump administration. Hence, we’ve always been at war with Eastasia.
I hope people get the “1984” reference. And for all those who think what is happening in America is a good thing and no of it will affect them, I suggest they look at the dark and sardonic cartoons of R.Cobb. The most appropriate one shows sad people sitting on a bench. There are cameras on them and tanks in the street. On their clothing are big “B” letters, and a sign says, “Only B Citizens May Sit Here”. One person is turning to the other and saying, “Well at least we don’t have to worry about terrorists any more.”
“We’ve always been at war with Eastasia.”
Love that. How many will get it?
Hilton promises to now treat ice agents like its vip guests
No upgrades no late checkouts and a 5 dollar voucher good on any breakfast 50 dollars and up
And at check in a special expedited check in line that is closed
And yet another liberal hack looking for headlines …. adding this hotel to my own personal “no fly list”. Hilton Hotels and services have deteriorated badly since Covid and they don’t seem to care
Learn from the Dixie Chicks, Bud Light and others. Stupid move by the franchise owner and they paid the price. Maybe they can convert it into a Somali day care center. Probably more profitable. They can make Tim Walz the manager of it. He will be looking for work soon. Hilarious
Hilton standards don’t include absence of mold?
@Coffee Please — Bud Light and others are still around, doing fine. And the Dixie Chicks were vindicated by the Iraq war being a farce that it was. If only we’d learned from that… *cough*
What business do you suppose DHS and ICE visits first this week in Minny?
Time to take down the Hilton sign and put up “Illegal Alien Inn”.
“Anheuser-Busch InBev’s market capitalization dropped by nearly $6 billion within 10 days of the controversy starting. By early 2025, the stock price was down significantly, representing a loss of over $40 billion in market value since the pre-debacle peak.”
It would appear that Coffee’s warning may have some merit.
Gary you should look into what’s happening to the January 3 DL27 flight. Passenger and plane are still stuck in Anchorage, 48 hours later. First a diversion (with a 3 hour backtrack to Anchorage instead of continuing onto major Japanese cities – probably closer with better infrastructure), second day a mechanical issue + incomplete paperwork that resulted in crew timing out, and today a 2 hour delay (and counting!). Delta provided hotels and a grand total of $12 in meal vouchers. Woohoo!
If being a franchisee includes a commitment to functioning in accord with the grantors rules, then regardless of how I feel about the current government’s policy, Hilton’s cancelling the franchise is within its rights.
It appears that the franchisee, knowing that it could cost them their franchise took a stand. Good for them. But taking a stand is most impressive if it’s at substantial cost or risk.
While it might have been prudent to wait another day or two for the dust to settle before jumping into the fray, if all truly has been as reported above, fine for Gary to talk about it, if he wants his column to seem more “relevant”. Of course,tbis doesn’t add to public knowlege, as he knows well that the details will be covered, in great detail in popular press coverage.
Who ultimately pays the greatest price, financially, morally, reputationally: the franchisee or Hilton (or their stockholders) is not yet clear, what is clear is that the current administration needn’t be concerned about repercussions.
Kudos to the reporters (apparently amateurs) who uncovered this evil owner (Everpeak) lying to corporate and the public and got Hilton to finally sanction him.
“because Hilton “is – and always has been – a welcoming place for all.””
You know what they say, once you allow the fascists in you become a fascist establishment. Fascists aren’t a protected class.
@Coffee Please: Yes. Or maybe a “Learing Center”?
@Mike P
1990 is easily triggered by me.
And just for the record, this is how Bud Light did (chatGPT):
“What was the total net cost to owners of gthe Bud Light fiasco?”
Here’s a data-based summary of the estimated total net cost to owners/shareholders from the Bud Light “fiasco” (the backlash and boycott after the Dylan Mulvaney partnership in 2023):
1. Lost Sales / Revenue
About $1.4 billion in lost sales/revenue in the U.S. reported by CNN Business as of early 2024, tied directly to the boycott’s impact on Bud Light volumes.
Wikipedia
Other reports from industry sources cite ~$395 million lost in a specific quarter due to Bud Light’s slump.
https://www.wbay.com
Bottom line on sales: Most credible business reporting suggests U.S. revenue impact in the low-billion-dollar range (~$1.0‒$1.4 billion) rather than astronomical sums.
2. Market Value / Shareholder Wealth
There’s no official audited figure for cumulative shareholder losses directly attributable to the controversy, but estimates often cited include:
~$15.7 billion decline in market capitalization (based on stock price drops attributed by some analysts to the fallout).
Investors
Some commentary claimed as much as ~$26 billion or $27 billion in value lost, though these are unverified narrative figures from commentary or opinion sources rather than audited finance analyses.
Wikipedia
+1
Important context:
Market cap losses aren’t realized cash costs to owners unless shares were sold—stock prices fluctuate due to many factors besides the boycott. Losses cited vary widely depending on how you measure timing and market conditions.
Summary of Estimated “Net Cost”
Category Approximate Impact
Lost sales/revenue (operational impact) ~$1 billion–$1.4 billion (U.S.)
Wikipedia
Market capitalization decline (paper value) ~$15 billion–$27 billion (varies by source)
Investors
+1
Long-term brand effects Ongoing, hard to quantify
✔️ Best grounded estimate:
For owners/shareholders, the clearest concrete cost was the revenue loss ~ $1–1.4 billion, with paper market value declines reported as much larger but much more speculative and influenced by broader stock market forces.
Wikipedia
Maybe the franchise wanted to be canceled out of hiltons contract.
Great way to do it. Now they can rebrand under new name. Now there is no breakage fee
@Mike P — Oh no… won’t anyone think of the shareholders! /s
It’s only the 3rd most popular bubbly-piss-water these days. Sniff.
Perhaps franchisee was part of the same mob running day care centers??
Despite what 1990 likes to think government (GSA) contracts are huge business for mid tier hotel chains. Hilton possibly losing a GSA contract would be financially material. Maybe not devasting but the numbers would suffer.
So FAFO.
Hilton will take a hit for sure. They were already bleeding loyal customers. As a former diamond I switched to Marriott (however Marriott is now devaluing their program at the same rate).
Left wing journalists just don’t understand that when it comes to people spending hard earned money (not covid fraud money), they will choose America first. Hilton has chosen the opposite.
@Coffee Please — Ahh… I need my ‘safe space.’ Where ever can I ‘touch grass’ and ‘cry harder’ now?!
@George Romey — They’re ‘mid’ alright… LOL.
Kudos to Hilton for kicking that Minnesota hotel out of the brand.
ICE agents are enforcing the laws of our country.
Their job is both dangerous and important.
The majority of Americans including me support them and their mission.
NO ONE has to experience an ICE deportation if they respect and follow our laws.
If Hilton did not take this corrective action, they would have been put on my list of companies I refrain from doing business with. I don’t like giving money to companies I consider woke, radical left wing, and anti-American.
Hilton is in a no-win situation where the diehards on one side of the political spectrum will be upset with them – all they can do now is decide which side that is. That’s why their corporate policy always “let everyone in, don’t rock the boat”.
Case and point: nobody is pestering Marriott, Hyatt and IHG about their ICE agent policies.
Of course the racist bigoted fascists on the left are up in arms.
When will companies learn to stay out of highly divisive political issues? You’re going to piss off half the country no matter which side you take.
Please explain Somali situation.
From my perspective, I wouldn’t want to be staying in a property with ice agents. Reasons range from not being a good stay inventors started protesting their presents to my personal opinion that their actions for the most part go way beyond law enforcement and into bullying and harassment.
So the property is caught. Take the ICE low revenue bookings and maybe lose other higher revenue guests or turn the reservations down.
For this one, I’m on the hotels side.
Funny, neither Hilton or Marriott seem overly concerned about brand standards until something like this happens.
Hilton will be fine.
@Pat — Maybe we should be. Let’s amp-up the culture-war so we forget about Epstein… and J6!
LOL Bud Light is not a stock it’s owned by AnBev which owns a million other incredibly popular beer brands. I’m glad that Ted Nugent and Mamaw don’t drink Bud Light anymore but conservative boycotts don’t move the needle financially. Although they do sometimes cause political violence which is an area where conservative activism has traditionally succeeded.
With Donald Trump, it’s always something and it never makes things more stable and peaceful. Even as a young child he was the kid at a birthday party throwing cake at the other kids.
@Pat is correct. The hotel operator put Hilton in a no-win situation, forcing them to take sides when everyone knows what Michael Jordan knew: Republicans buy sneakers too.
Hilton should sue the operator for the brand damage.
@nsx at FlyerTalk — And the hotel can counter-sue for damages related to Hilton’s breach of contract; and maybe also claim that it helped, not hurt, the brand, because more than half the country opposes ICE’s abuses of power and law.
First I would like to say Happy American Bastille Day (Jan 6th). Those patriots were vindicated in the end and got justice.
Second @bhcompy, garbage lefties like yourself are on the losing side of history, you’re a dying minority and everyone thinks you’re comically silly and sad. I wish Trump was 1/4 as “fascist” as you commies claim he is, then maybe we could do something about the 5th column of people like yourself polluting our society.
Either way Trump and the hero’s of ICE won again. That’s what happens when the majority of people support you and you have an electoral mandate behind it.
This was a bad week for the hate america left.
@1990
Counter sue for damages? That’s funny and the thought that 50% or opposes ICE is ludicrous. So the 50% support open borders too I guess.
That Hilton hotel, like any business, reserves the right to deny service to someone doing something illegal. What ICE/DHS is doing violates the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, habeas corpus, in addition to assaulting people and kidnapping. About 70% of people ICE/DHS have kidnapped have never been convicted of a crime and the majority of the rest are petty offenses like traffic tickets.
The owner/manager of that hotel is a hero to us all.
@1990
Nobody supports this hotel but a vocal group of anti-americans. People who think like you and the anti-ice loons in this thread are a very very small minority. Americans approve of ice.
Amazing how the right wing talking point about freedom of speech & opinion goes right out the window when it’s a hotel owner expressing their disapproval of ICE setting up their next operation to detain and/or arrest American citizens who are dark-skinned and Spanish speaking. I’m pretty sure ICE agents aren’t a protected class under law. I bet the same people dunking on this hotel owner would be hoisting him on their shoulders if he was denying reservations to trans people.
I’d be pleased and proud to stay at that former Hilton, and if Hilton is going to “welcome” the ICE Gestapo – then they won’t be getting any more of my travel $$$.
It’s like the Nazi bar story – once you let in one, more come and then you’re a “Nazi hotel”.
Now Everpeak can turn this hotel into Days Inn, fitting perfectly.
@Frank
“Kidnapped” of course you use lies like that. These people are being arrested for being here illegally and being deported. They have committed a crime, the crime of being here illegally.
@KidStarA
You’re more proof that every accusation by a lefty is a confession. You talk about “talking points” and yet you use the long debunked talking point of ICE arresting “American citizens” which is a lie. They are rightfully arresting illegal aliens.
@KidStar
I mean this is all a result of the utter chaos that Sleepy Joe Biden and his VP Border Czar created. Most of the people entering the Southern Border were Hispanics from Mexico, Central and South America and Haiti. Not a lot of white folks / gringos living in those places. These folks entered illegally. They violated US law so the current administration is cleaning up the mess the Basement dweller left us. Step up and sponsor some families.
“LOL Bud Light is not a stock it’s owned by AnBev which owns a million other incredibly popular beer brands. I’m glad that Ted Nugent and Mamaw don’t drink Bud Light anymore but conservative boycotts don’t move the needle financially.”
First the company is Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV which trades as BUD. A quick look at the data suggests that BUD is down 5% from April 2023, while the SP500 is up over 60%. That is certainly not proof in isolation.
From the HBR: “However, unlike with other consumer boycotts, Bud Light has not bounced back quickly. The sales decline persisted for close to eight months, with sales and purchase incidence down by 32% in Q4 2023. Interestingly, the sales decline in Democratic counties became even larger over time, shrinking the gap between Republican and Democratic counties.”
I very much enjoy listening to the left claim their actions against ICE agents is akin to have opposed the Nazi Gestapo. Just like I enjoy listening to killers of abortion providers comparing themselves to a resistance member killing Mengala. Oops, I very much dislike both. It always seems the weaker the argument, the more quickly Nazi Germany comes up.
Is not supporting the motives of “killers of abortion providers” the new moderate position. The Overton Window may be even further gone than I thought.
@walter
‘People who think like you and the anti-ice loons in this thread are a very very small minority. Americans approve of icE’
In fact, a majority of people disapprove of Trump’s immigration policy in polls. Even assuming the polls underestimate support, its certainly not the case that a very, very small minority disapproves of them. Then again, what else should one expect from mathematically challenged who claim a 2.5% win is a landslide
@1990 makes the funniest comment yet. Thinking that the law would protect the franchise owner vs Hilton based on his political feelings . That’s not how things work . It would all go back to the franchise agreement itself. I would not be surprised to see Hilton take action against them .
@robertw477 — Success! I’m mostly here for your personal entertainment.
@Coffee Please — Open borders? Is that the pitch for 2026? Ok. 299 days until the midterms. Don’t worry about the economy. We got scapegoats!
@Walter Barry — Wild to see the likes of you now promoting the French. What happened to Freedom Fries??
@1990
Another thing. I’m at the airport and it is packed. Looks like everyone is doing fine. With regards to the midterms, yes unfortunately the Demos will take over the House. Been that way since WW2. Now of course there will be articles of impeachment yet again against Trump. And yet again the Senate will not convict. Another colossal waste of taxpayer money. Enjoy the circus.
@wash
The nov 2024 mandate disagrees with you.
@Bad Kitten on a Rampage
we don’t care what you think, you people are delusional and dangerous. One of you wack job leftists got capped by an ice agent today trying to commit terrorist attack against them. Hope the hero ice agent that painted that honda with the brain matter of that leftist gets a big raise.
Also some dumb white woman tried to play the virtue signal game and run over an ice agent today.
He did the right thing and painted her brain matter all over the interior of her car.
@Walter Barry – Good. I’m glad that she is no longer a threat to law enforcement and a cancer upon society. Unfortunately all the idiots like her in that leftist dumpster fire of a city now think they have a reason to cause even more chaos.
@Coffee Please — Ah, yes, bread and circuses! *Entrance of the Gladiators* Safe travels!
@Walter Barry — Weren’t you just celebrating Babbitt as a martyr above? Maybe, hear me out, promoting violence against political opponents and our fellow countrymen isn’t the best way to settle differences of opinion. (Then again, we, as a species, historically, haven’t gotten rid of fascist or communist dictators by merely ‘asking nicely.’)