Motel 6 may “keep the lights on,” but what they don’t tell you is that they mean the flashlight of an ICE agent.
The Washington state attorney general is suing the motel chain for giving the federal agents their guests lists, which violates state privacy laws and um… basic human decency. Attorney General Bob Ferguson told reporters, "Motel 6 staff observed ICE identify guests of interest to ICE, including by circling guests with Latino-sounding names.”
As the suit alleges, agents from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement came to various Motel 6 locations throughout Washington in an attempt to find undocumented immigrants. ICE is said to have obtained guest lists from a receptionist without a warrant. Guest list information included things like names, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and license plate numbers. Ferguson also asserts that the agents typically came early in the morning or late at night. Big brother much? Even worse, the suit claims the chain trained their employees to cooperate with ICE’s requests. For shame.
Motel 6 isn’t denying the allegations. Indeed, they admit that six of their locations cooperated with ICE, even though the agents came without warrants. It’s estimated that over 9,000 people were affected by this egregious assault on privacy.
However, Motel 6 claims that in September, it told all of its locations that “they are prohibited from voluntarily providing daily guests lists to (ICE). Motel 6 takes this matter very seriously, and we have and will continue to fully cooperate with the Office of the State Attorney General."
ICE said that because it is not a defendant in the lawsuit it would not comment on the allegations. "Due to operational security, (ICE) does not typically disclose or discuss specific information related to the source of its enforcement leads," ICE spokeswoman Danielle Bennett said in a statement. "The agency's immigration enforcement actions are targeted and lead driven, prioritizing individuals who pose a risk to our communities. It's worth noting that hotels and motels have frequently been exploited by criminal organizations engaged in highly dangerous illegal enterprises, including human trafficking and human smuggling."
The state is seeking out $2,000 for each violation of the Washington’s Consumer Protection Agency, for a total of around $18 million. The lawsuit was filed in King County Superior Court.
