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- The Department of Homeland Security said a Minnesota Hampton Inn canceled reservations for ICE agents.
- Hilton said the hotel was independently owned. The company apologized for the incident.
- Most Hilton-branded hotels are franchised, not directly owned by Hilton.
The Department of Homeland Security singled out Hilton on X, saying a hotel in Minnesota canceled reservations belonging to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
According to a screenshot shared by DHS on Monday, a Hampton Inn in Lakeville, south of Minneapolis, said it was "not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property."
"If you are with DHS or immigration, let us know as we will have to cancel your reservation," the screenshot said.
Hilton said it doesn't own or operate the hotel. The company's shares were down nearly 2.5% on Monday.
"This hotel is independently owned and operated, and these actions were not reflective of Hilton values," Hilton said in a statement to Business Insider. "We have been in direct contact with the hotel, and they have apologized for the actions of their team, which was not in keeping with their policies."
"Hilton's position is clear: Our properties are open to everyone and we do not tolerate any form of discrimination," the statement said.
Everpeak Hospitality, the owner of the hotel, said in a statement Tuesday that the incident was "inconsistent with our policy of being a welcoming place for all."
"We are in touch with the impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated," the statement said. "We do not discriminate against any individuals or agencies and apologize to those impacted."
DHS did not respond to a request for comment.
Who owns Hilton-branded hotels?
Hilton's largest known shareholders are Vanguard and BlackRock, which respectively own 10.6% and 8.5% of its common stock, according to the company's 2025 proxy statement.
Hilton, like other global hotel chains, does not own most Hilton-branded hotels.
Instead, most of its hotels are franchised — they're owned and operated independently or owned by a third party and operated by Hilton.
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