❓WHAT HAPPENED: Two Minnesota hotels canceled U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents’ reservations and temporarily closed due to “heightened public safety concerns.”
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE agents, Doubletree St. Paul Downtown, Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront, and protesters opposing ICE operations.
📍WHEN & WHERE: St. Paul, Minnesota; closures began Sunday, with impacts continuing into the week.
🎯IMPACT: ICE agents faced challenges in securing accommodations amid ongoing protests and safety concerns.
Two hotels in St. Paul, Minnesota, have temporarily closed their doors in what is suspected to be a move to shield them from litigation for cancelling reservations made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The Doubletree St. Paul Downtown informed agents that their rooms were being canceled and the hotel would close for several days, while the Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront said it was temporarily closing due to “elevated safety and security concerns.”
While both hotels claim they are assisting agents in finding new or alternate accommodations, the closure decisions are drawing scrutiny, as the move appears to be designed to avoid the backlash the now-former Hampton Inn Lakeville Minneapolis received. The National Pulse reported in early January that Hilton announced it had cut ties with the hotel’s independent ownership after it refused to honor room reservations made by federal agents and was subsequently caught lying about the matter. Notably, the InterContinental St. Paul Riverfront stated that it may begin accepting reservations again on Wednesday.
The hotel closures do come amid an increase in civil unrest and violence by leftist agitators in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area in response to the fatal shooting of anti-ICE activist Renee Nicole Good earlier this month, when she attempted to run over a federal law enforcement officer. On Sunday, left-wing protestors and ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon stormed a Christian worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul. The demonstration was led by activist Nekima Levy-Armstrong and organized by the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota under the name “Operation Pullup.” Lemon accompanied the group, embedded with the protesters, and conducted interviews during the disruption. Congregants were forced to flee as the unrest unfolded inside the church.
In response to the unrest and violence, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has surged federal law enforcement officers to Minnesota to protect both the public and ICE agents.
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