Major hotel chains have promised to not aid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during their planned raids of illegal immigrants this weekend.
“We are not aware that any of our franchised hotels, all of which are independently owned and operated, are being asked to serve as detention facilities,” Choice Hotels said in a statement Thursday. “We do not believe hotels should be used in this way and will decline any requests to do so. We ask that our franchised hotels only be used for their intended purpose, which is to provide travelers with a welcoming hotel room.”
A representative with Choice Hotels clarified Friday that: “As a franchisor, all hotels in our system are independently owned and operated. Ultimately, each property makes decisions about their operations in accordance with applicable law.”
Marriott, another major hotel chain, also vowed to not allow any of their hotels to be used to detain illegal immigrants.
“Our hotels are not configured to be detention facilities, but to be open to guests and community members as well,” Marriott International said in a statement. “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.”
The move followed protest by activist encouraging the chains to resist helping the ICE raids.
Y’ALL…@MarriottIntl just sent this statement to our organizer & press: “Marriott has made the decision to decline any requests to use our hotels as detention facilities.”
THANK YOU for standing on the right side of history, @Marriott
.@ChoiceHotels YOU’RE UP. #NoHotelsForICE pic.twitter.com/ASYRadMEL5
— Sanctuary DMV (@SanctuaryDMV) July 11, 2019
President Trump reaffirmed Friday that mass arrests of illegal immigrants will begin Sunday. The targets are only expected to be in the thousands, fewer than the “millions” Trump had said he planned on deporting.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ilhan Omar have both warned illegal immigrants about the upcoming ICE raids, posting information to notify illegal immigrants about their rights if ICE shows up at their house.
In 2016 after Trump’s election, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson pleaded with the president-elect in an open letter to not deport illegal immigrants.
“Let’s take appropriate steps to ensure that these 11 million [illegal immigrants] can help make America stronger by paying taxes, investing in the future and continuing to contribute to our communities. It is impractical and heartless to think that we will evict all these people. Let’s find a way to let them live their lives productively,” Sorensen said.
