Hilton says it is removing a Minnesota hotel from its system amid ICE controversy and calls for a boycott

• Hilton said it is removing a Hampton Inn location from its system after it denied access to ICE agents.
• "Hilton is — and has always been — a welcoming place for all," the company said.
• The controversy is sparking some backlash and drawing calls for a Bud Light-style boycott.

The operator of a Minnesota Hampton Inn is on thin ice with the brand's parent company Hilton.

The hotel chain said Tuesday that it is removing a franchise owner from its system after a video surfaced that purported to show an employee declining to provide rooms for immigration enforcement employees.

"Hilton is — and has always been — a welcoming place for all. We are also engaging with all of our franchisees to reinforce the standards we hold them to across our system to help ensure this does not happen again," the company said in a statement.

The move comes after the Department of Homeland Security said Monday that the location had denied reservations from ICE agents.

The hotel's owner responded with a follow-up statement that it does "not discriminate against any individuals or agencies" as well as an apology to those affected.

But on Tuesday, conservative provocateur Nick Sortor posted a video on X showing himself attempting to check in at the Lakewood, Minnesota, Hampton Inn at around 11 p.m. local time.

When Sortor requested a government rate for DHS employees, a person at the front desk said the location was not accepting reservations from the agency, even after Sortor presented the person with the earlier statement.

The controversy is sparking backlash among some conservatives and drawing calls for a boycott, similar to those levied against Bud Light and Target.

"I'm a long time Hilton Honors Member, but I'll boycott your hotels," New Hampshire Republican state representative James Spillane said in a post on X.

Search interest on Google for the phrase "Boycott Hilton Hotels" also spiked on Monday and continued upward on Tuesday.

The majority of Hilton-branded properties are owned and operated by independent franchisees, and Everpeak Hospitality runs the location in question.

"Hilton takes any discriminatory actions by its franchisees with the highest degree of seriousness for obvious reasons," billionaire investor Bill Ackman posted on X on Tuesday. "As a Hilton customer and shareholder, I am comfortable that this situation was handled appropriately and in a timely fashion."