The Department of Homeland Security has now reportedly said it is being shown the door by a major hotel chain, accusing Hilton Hotels of abruptly canceling room reservations made by federal immigration officers using official government email addresses.
In a statement posted Monday on its official X account, Department of Homeland Security accused Hilton of carrying out what it described as a “coordinated campaign” to deny lodging to DHS law enforcement personnel in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The agency shared screenshots of emails from Hilton representatives, including one message that bluntly told an officer, “We are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property.”
“NO ROOM AT THE INN!” DHS wrote in the post, directly calling out Hilton Hotels. According to the agency, officers attempted to book rooms using official government email addresses and standard government rates, only to have their reservations canceled.
“@HiltonHotels has launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement,” the post stated. “When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations.”
DHS went on to sharply criticize the hotel chain, framing the decision as a deliberate attempt to interfere with federal law enforcement operations. “This is UNACCEPTABLE,” the agency wrote. “Why is Hilton Hotels siding with murderers and rapists to deliberately undermine and impede DHS law enforcement from their mission to enforce our nation’s immigration laws?”
The accusation comes amid stepped-up immigration enforcement activity in the Twin Cities area. In recent days, Immigration and Customs Enforcement increased operations in Minneapolis and surrounding communities. Those actions followed renewed attention on alleged daycare fraud in the region, sparked by a viral investigation published by YouTuber Nick Shirley and later amplified by officials within the Trump administration.
Federal authorities have said such enforcement actions require officers to travel, often on short notice, making access to lodging a logistical necessity rather than a convenience. DHS officials suggested that denying hotel accommodations to agents actively carrying out federal duties could pose safety and operational challenges.
The department’s public rebuke also highlighted broader tensions between corporate America and federal immigration enforcement, particularly in cities and states where progressive politics dominate. Minneapolis has been a flashpoint for immigration and law enforcement debates in recent years, and DHS’s statement suggests the agency believes Hilton’s actions were politically motivated rather than the result of a routine booking issue.
As of Monday, Hilton had not publicly addressed the allegations. A spokeswoman for the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Mediaite, leaving DHS’s claims unanswered.
The incident adds to a growing list of clashes between the Trump administration and private-sector institutions over immigration policy and enforcement. Administration officials have repeatedly argued that undermining or obstructing federal agents only emboldens criminal activity and weakens public safety.
For now, DHS has made clear it is not backing down. By publicly calling out Hilton, the agency signaled that it views the canceled reservations as more than a customer service dispute, but as a direct challenge to federal authority.
Whether Hilton responds or revises its actions remains to be seen, but the message from DHS was unmistakable: federal law enforcement officers carrying out immigration duties expect to be treated like any other government agents, not turned away at the front desk.
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