By The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is accusing Hilton Hotels of deliberately canceling hotel reservations for federal immigration agents in the Minneapolis area, a move the department says interfered with an active law-enforcement operation tied to a large-scale fraud investigation.
According to DHS, multiple reservations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel were abruptly canceled days before agents were scheduled to arrive in Minnesota to support a coordinated crackdown on pandemic-era fraud schemes. The department says as many as 2,000 agents were expected to deploy to the region.
NO ROOM AT THE INN!@HiltonHotels has launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement.
When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations.
This is… pic.twitter.com/qKMKypGtzi
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 5, 2026
Internal correspondence released by DHS shows at least one Hampton Inn property in Lakeville, south of Minneapolis, informing guests that reservations were being canceled after staff identified the bookings as connected to immigration enforcement. In one message, hotel staff indicated that immigration agents would not be permitted to stay on the property and instructed employees to flag similar reservations in the future.
DHS officials described the cancellations as “malicious” and “unacceptable,” arguing that refusing lodging to federal agents in the middle of an enforcement operation undermines public safety and the execution of federal law. Senior officials questioned why a major hotel chain would deny service to government personnel engaged in criminal investigations.
The hotel the DHS tried to book was bought last summer, noted Federalist founder Sean Davis.
BREAKING: This particular hotel, the Hampton Inn Lakeville outside Minneapolis was bought for $15 million last summer, according to news reports.
The LLC that was used to purchase the hotel is owned by four Indian partners—Parmjit Singh, Amanpreet Hundal, Karandeep Nagra, and… https://t.co/yZm0ymVs1h pic.twitter.com/2iU1l9mSdo
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 5, 2026
The dispute comes amid a visible surge in federal activity in Minneapolis, where authorities have been preparing to investigate fraud cases tied to identity theft, benefit abuse, and organized schemes that expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city’s large immigrant population—particularly within the Somali American community—has made Minneapolis a focal point in broader national debates over immigration enforcement.
Legal analysts say the controversy could expose Hilton to scrutiny under federal laws that prohibit discrimination against government employees based on their official duties, though the legal boundaries remain unsettled. Private businesses generally retain discretion over whom they serve, but that discretion can narrow when refusals intersect with federal contracts, civil-rights statutes, or coordinated efforts to obstruct law enforcement.
Hilton, in a statement from a spokesperson, said, “Hilton hotels serve as welcoming places for all. This hotel is independently owned and operated, and the actions referenced are not reflective of Hilton values.”
“We are investigating this matter with this individual hotel, and can confirm that Hilton works with governments, law enforcement and community leaders around the world to ensure our properties are open and inviting to everyone,” the spokesperson said.
Most of Hilton’s more than 9,000 branded properties worldwide are independently owned and operated by franchisees, rather than managed directly by the company.
During the first Trump administration, Hilton publicly addressed its role in immigration enforcement. In September 2020, the company said it opposed the use of its hotels to detain migrants, including minors. The statement followed confirmation that a separately owned Hampton Inn & Suites in McAllen, Texas, had accepted bookings from a private contractor working on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house migrants, including children.
With federal operations continuing in Minneapolis, DHS officials say they are reviewing their options as the standoff with one of the nation’s largest hotel chains remains unresolved.
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