All the US Department of Homeland Security had to do this week was push out a tweet rife with explosive allegations against Hilton Hotels to set the Internet ablaze. On Monday (US time), the official DHS account on X fumed in all-caps, “NO ROOM AT THE INN!” The American federal department went on to call out the notable Hilton Hotels banner, accusing it of launching a “coordinated campaign” in Minneapolis against immigration authorities.

DHS vs Hilton Hotels: What US immigration authorities posted

Per the DHS’ side of the account, a Hilton Hotels-affiliated establishment refused service to law enforcement agents when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers tried to book a room using official government emails.

“Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations,” the @DHSgov admin fumed in the tweet. “This is UNACCEPTABLE. Why is Hilton Hotels siding with murderers and rapists to deliberately undermine and impede DHS law enforcement from their mission to enforce our nation’s immigration laws?”

The agency went on to attach apparent receipts backing its allegations against the famous hotel franchise. In what appears to be a screenshot of emails dated January 2, Hilton cancelled the officers’ scheduled reservation.

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“After further investigation online, we have found information about immigration work connected with your name and we will be cancelling your upcoming reservation. You should see a proper cancellation email in your inbox shortly from Hilton,” read a partially redacted email screenshot.

Sharing another picture of what looks like the follow-up to the previous message, DHS shed light on the US hotel’s alleged response.

It said: “This email is in regards to the reservation you made with the Hampton Inn Lakeville property. We have noticed an influx of GOV reservations made today that have been for DHS, and we are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property. If you are with DHS or immigration, let us know as we will have to cancel your reservation. Please pass on this info to your coworkers that we are not allowing any immigration agents to house on our property. Reply at your earliest convenience.”

Within hours, the post garnered tens of millions of views on X.

In a similarly worded post, the official ICE account on X also turned on the Hilton Hotels brand, questioning it, “Why did your team in Minneapolis cancel our federal law enforcement officer and agents’ reservations?”

This post also came along with the same screenshot, and has since amassed millions of views on the social media platform.

MAGA raises mass ‘boycott Hilton Hotel’ calls

Shortly after the official DHS and ICE posts caught netizens’ attention on the platform, MAGA and far-right supporters raised the alarm to move ahead with boycotting the Hilton brand, which houses several sub-branches, including Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Garden Inn, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Hampton and more.

‘MAGA Voice’, a popular “pro-Elon Musk” and Donald Trump ally page on X followed by over a million accounts, including that of Nicki Minaj, wrote: “Who else is ready to BOYCOTT Hilton Hotels ?”

More such cries erupted from the MAGA camp. Another account said, “Time to call @HiltonHotels and cancel all your summer reservations.” Even more comments like “The Hilton Hotel Chain are Anti-American! Boycott all brands of the chain!” and “Boycott Hilton Hotels. They are a threat to our security” took over the SNS platform.

Not backing their inflammatory tweets with any credible evidence, ‘Wall Street Mav,’ another page with over a million followers on X, added, “If any illegals are found to be working at Hilton brand hotels, Trump should arrest the hotel owners. If any illegals are found to be working at Hilton brand hotels, Trump should arrest the hotel owners.”

Conservative influencer Nick Sortor also declared it was “time for mass immigration raids at Hilton Hotels.” He wrote further, “And arrest ANYONE in management and on the executive team who’s complicit in the THOUSANDS of illegals hired to work in their properties. You wanna play this game, @HiltonHotels? Alright then, let’s play.”

Hilton Hotel and Hampton Inn management company release statements

After DHS’ post containing alleged emails sent by the staff at the Hampton Inn by Hilton Lakeville, Minnesota, went viral online. Spokespeople of the brand started scrambling to issue the company’s official statement addressing the matter.

In one such admission shared with Fox Business, Hilton Hotels initially said it was investigating the property, which they claim to be independently owned. “Hilton hotels serve as welcoming places for all. This hotel is independently owned and operated, and the actions referenced are not reflective of Hilton values,” a spokesperson told the US outlet.

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“We are investigating this matter with this individual hotel, and can confirm that Hilton works with governments, law enforcement and community leaders around the world to ensure our properties are open and inviting to everyone.”

The spokesperson reached out to the news outlet yet again to reiterate that the Hampton Inn under current scrutiny was independently owned and operated. “We have been in direct contact with the hotel, and they have apologised for the actions of their team, which was not in keeping with their policies,” they added. “They have taken immediate action to resolve this matter. Hilton’s position is clear: Our properties are open to everyone and we do not tolerate any form of discrimination.”

Consequently, Everpeak Hospitality, the management company that runs the Hampton Inn, also issued a statement saying, “Everpeak Hospitality has moved swiftly to address this matter as it was inconsistent with our policy of being a welcoming place for all. We are in touch with the impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated. We do not discriminate against any individuals or agencies and apologize to those impacted.”

Alluding to Everpeak Hospitality’s statement shared with Fox News, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary Dept of Homeland Security, quote-posted the outlet’s correspondent Bill Melugin’s tweet. “I wonder how Everpeak Hospitality has “moved swiftly to address this matter” when @DHSgov and @ICEgov haven’t heard anything from them?” she tweeted.

DHS Hilton Hotel controversy
Tweet shared by The Federalist’s Sean Davis.

Reports of Indian-origin ownership of Hampton Inn Lakeville flood X

With Hilton and Everpeak’s statement confirming that the Hampton Inn in question was independently owned and operated, certain follow-up reports stoked the debate even further.

Sean Davis, the CEO and co-founder of the web magazine The Federalist and the winner of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism, tweeted, “BREAKING: This particular hotel, the Hampton Inn Lakeville outside Minneapolis was bought for $15 million last summer, according to news reports.”

“The LLC that was used to purchase the hotel is owned by four Indian partners…according to public records filed last June with the Minnesota Secretary of State.”

Davis attached screenshots of filings with the Minnesota secretary of state citing that the Hampton Inn in Lakeville, Minnesota, was purchased last year through a limited liability company owned by four Indian-origin people.

Hilton Hotel ICE
Screenshots shared by Sean Davis on X.

The investigative journalist’s scoop on X, in turn, fired up quite a few anti-Indian comments. One such remark read, “The Scamming Indians trying to run cover for the Scamming Somalians & Illegal Alien Latinos. A Foreign Leech Alliance.”

Another said: “Deport the Indian owners along with the Somali’s!”

A third tweet noted: “So let me get this straight. Hilton hotels owned by Indians are denying rooms to ICE agents in Minneapolis? So let me get this straight. Hilton hotels owned by Indians are denying rooms to ICE agents in Minneapolis?”

Minnesota has already been under Trump’s radar owing to its large Somali community. Last month, the US president took aim at Somali immigrants, calling them “garbage,” and that he didn’t want them in the US.

The Hilton controversy has particularly become an eye-grabbing development in the US state at a time when the ICE is planning to send more than 2,000 personnel there amid a welfare-fraud scandal, as per the Wall Street Journal. Most of the people charged in connection with the scandal in question are of Somali descent.

ICE Hilton Hotels
Screenshots shared by Sean Davis on X.