To: Blackstone Group, CEO Stephen Schwarzman
Keep ICE out of Hilton, La Quinta, Motel 6, and Wyndam hotels
Motel 6 is being sued in several states for cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to harass, detain, and deport motel guests. This is unconscionable. Ensure all Blackstone Group hotels—Hilton, La Quinta, Motel 6, and Wyndam hotels—have strict policies against this kind of racist intimidation and profiling.
This is a shameful practice that must end.
Why is this important?
Motel 6—which is controlled by the CEO of the Blackstone Group, one of Donald Trump's biggest supporters—is suspected of calling ICE to report undocumented guests.
As the owner of Motel 6 and several other national hotel chains, Blackstone Group must ensure this disturbing practice is not being used against hotel guests anywhere.
Employees at two Motel 6 locations in Arizona, where more than 20 arrests by ICE have been made in recent months, confirmed rumors, telling local media: "We send a report every morning to ICE -- all the names of everybody that comes in."
Let that sink in for a minute.
Motel 6 is literally taking money from immigrant customers, and then calling immigration agents to come round them up, jail them, and deport them if they can find a reason. This is unacceptable.
Adding insult to injury, Motel 6 has released a statement claiming this was an isolated incident and the practice "was discontinued." That's it. No change in policies, no employees disciplined, no increased oversight.
We can't let Motel 6 get away with these anti-immigrant practices. Demand that Blackstone Group ensures none of their hotels are cooperating with ICE.
Together we can show callous companies and CEO's that they are not above basic decency.