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FIRST ON FOX: The General Services Administration (GSA) is terminating the Hampton Inn Lakeville in Minnesota from its list of approved lodging accommodations for all federal employees after the hotel refused to accommodate ICE agents and immigration officers.
Several emails posted by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE on Monday showed that the hotel was “not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property.”
“After I was informed that a local Hilton property canceled rooms reserved for ICE, GSA immediately reviewed the matter and found the hotel to be in clear violation of its government lodging program requirements,” GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The property has been removed from the programs and booking tools effective immediately. GSA unequivocally supports our federal law enforcement partners.”
The GSA is a federal agency responsible for managing and supporting the basic functioning of federal agencies. Forst was nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the agency, and he was sworn in on Christmas Eve after being confirmed by the Senate in mid-December.
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The formerly Hilton-branded hotel was stripped of its Hilton label by the hotel chain Tuesday morning after a video surfaced appearing to show that the location continued to deny immigration officers despite Hilton Hotels saying that the venue had apologized and that “properties are open to everyone and we do not tolerate any form of discrimination.”
The hotel participated in a government lodging program partnership, known as GSA FedRooms, between federal employees and the location. Following the Hampton Inn Lakeville denying federal agents rooms, GSA has since removed the property from all lodging programs and travel systems.
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FedRooms is a GSA-managed transient lodging program providing Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) compliant hotel accommodations to U.S. government and military travelers, at or below federal per diem rates.
GSA also terminated emergency lodging services and long-term lodging at the property.
Fox News Digital learned through sources that the hotel accommodated federal agents for roughly 130 total nights last year.
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Including active-duty military members along with civilian employees, the total number of federal workforce exceeds 4 million.
Hilton Hotels noted in their initial statement that the Hampton Inn Lakeville is independently owned and operated and said that the property took “immediate action to resolve this matter and are contacting impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated.”
However, a viral video posted to X by freelance journalist Nick Sortor on Tuesday morning showed an employee at the counter continuing to deny federal agents, going against Hilton’s statement.
Hilton Hotels took action shortly after, separating the individual hotel from their network.
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“A recent video clearly raises concerns that they are not meeting our standards and values,” Hilton Hotels said in a statement. “As such, we are taking immediate action to remove this hotel from our systems. Hilton is — and has always been — a welcoming place for all.”
Hampton Inn Lakeville appears to have been removed from Hilton’s website.
Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on X @MizellPreston
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