A conservative journalist released undercover footage showing a Minnesota hotel still refusing to accommodate ICE agents, despite the Hilton chain publicly apologising and promising to fix the issue. This final straw reportedly made the hotel giant cut ties with the property.The video was filmed by MAGA-aligned journalist Nick Sortor. It shows him attempting to book rooms at the Hampton Inn by Hilton in Lakeville while posing as a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) worker. In the recording, a front desk employee tells him the hotel is still not allowing bookings from ICE, DHS or immigration enforcement officials.The exposure came just hours after Hilton insisted the issue had been resolved.The hotel was bought for $15 million last year and is owned by four Indian-Americans, Parmjit Singh, Amanpreet Hundal, Karandeep Nagra, and Mohinderjeet Kaur, according to filings with the Minnesota secretary of state.The row began when DHS shared emails online showing that rooms booked by federal agents had been cancelled once the hotel learned they were linked to immigration enforcement. One email stated: “After further investigation online, we have found information about immigration work connected with your name, and we will be canceling your upcoming reservation. You should see a proper cancellation email in your inbox shortly from Hilton.”DHS accused Hilton of a “coordinated campaign” to “REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement.”Hilton responded and distanced itself from the decision and blamed a single, independently owned franchise.The hotel’s management company, Everpeak Hospitality, also said it was working to address the issue.However, Sortor’s video appeared to expose such false promises. In the footage recorded on Monday, the hotel worker says he recently spoke with the owner, who had not mentioned any policy change. The employee offers to call the owner, but later says he was unable to reach anyone. Following the release of the video, Hilton said it was taking decisive action. In a statement on Tuesday, the company said it was “taking immediate action to remove this hotel from our systems.” The company also said that the footage released by Sortor “clearly raises concerns that they are not meeting our standards and values.”“Hilton is – and has always been – a welcoming place for all,” the statement added.Sortor confirmed the changes on his social media account and said that: “The sign at the former Hilton Hotel that I exposed for CONTINUING to refuse service to ICE agents has now been TAKEN DOWN”Sortor added: “Let this be a lesson to ALL hotels who think they can get away with barring DHS agents!”Recently, a woman was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minnesota. A 37-year-old US citizen named Renee Nicole Good was shot during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. The reason for the shooting was cited as ‘self-defence’ by DHS and ICE.
Part of the recorded conversation that exposed the hotel:
Nick (off-camera): Hello, how are you?Employee: Good.Nick: Do you have any rooms for tonight?Employee: Yeah.Nick: How many could we get? Like ten?Employee: It would just—it would be…Nick: Personal? I don’t know if we’re using the government rate or not.Employee: Right now, which agency?Nick: They’d be Department of Homeland Security.Employee: We’re not accepting people from immigration, DHS agents into our property.Nick: Okay.Employee: It’s just the current management/ownership.Nick: Did that change today? I just talked to my…Employee: The owner of the building hasn’t said there have been any changes. So yeah, it’s just policy, you know.Nick: Yes, I mean, that’s not your fault. Totally get that.
