Washington’s attorney general Robert W. Ferguson filed a lawsuit against hotel brand Motel 6 alleging it gave immigration agents personal information about thousands of guests.
Ferguson says hotel employees routinely turned over guests’ personal data to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents including names, birth dates and license plate numbers.
In all, data on about 9,000 guests was handed over, resulting in up to six people being detained by the agency.
The lawsuit came about after similar activity was reported in Arizona, although the company claimed at the time it was ‘implemented at the local level.’
That led to the Washington AG investigation.
"Motel 6 implied this was a local problem. We have found that is not true. Washingtonians have a right to privacy, and protection from discrimination. I will hold Motel 6 accountable and uncover the whole story of their disturbing conduct," Ferguson said.
The Ferguson investigation found six of its 11 locations in the state had actively assisted ICE agents.
ICE agents would come to the front desk and request the guest list which would be printed out and handed over on receipt of a ‘law enforcement acknowledgment form.’
Agents then allegedly searched for ‘Latino sounding names’.
After it first came to light in Arizona, parent company G6 Hospitality issued a nationwide directive prohibiting employees from ‘voluntarily providing guest data.’
"Motel 6 takes this matter very seriously and we have and will continue to fully cooperate with the office of the state attorney general," said spokeswoman Jillian Perera.
