No Help With ICE Raids Coming From 2 Montgomery-Based Hotels

BETHESDA, MD — Two major hotel chains headquartered in Montgomery County say they will not let Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents use their hotel rooms as backup detention facilities for immigrants.

Bethesda-based Marriott International Inc. and Rockville-based Choice Hotels have each put out a statement regarding this weekend's planned immigration raids in several cities, including Baltimore.

"Our hotels are not configured to be detention facilities, but to be open to guests and community members as well," Marriott International wrote in a statement. "While we have no particular insights into whether the U.S. government is considering the use of hotels to aid in the situation at the border, Marriott has made the decision to decline any requests to use our hotels as detention facilities."

Thousands of undocumented families are targeted in immigration raids expected to start Sunday in major cities from one coast to the other under the Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation backed by President Trump. The raids have sparked outrage among immigration advocates and even members of the Republican president;s own party.

The raids will take place over several days and will target criminals and "bad players," Trump says, but anyone who came to the United States illegally and previously ignored deportation orders could be rounded up.

Trump says allowing them to stay in the country isn't fair to others who have been waiting for years to become U.S. citizens through a legal process.

The raids reportedly target about 2,000 people previously ordered out of the country but still living in 10 cities: Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, and San Francisco.

Y’ALL...@MarriottIntl just sent this statement to our organizer & press: “Marriott has made the decision to decline any requests to use our hotels as detention facilities.”

THANK YOU for standing on the right side of history, @Marriott

.@ChoiceHotels YOU’RE UP. #NoHotelsForICE pic.twitter.com/ASYRadMEL5
— Sanctuary DMV (@SanctuaryDMV) July 11, 2019

Like Marriott International, Choice Hotels has pledged not to aid federal agents rounding up immigrant families.

"We are not aware that any of our franchised hotels, all of which are independently owned and operated, are being asked to serve as detention facilities," according to the company's statement. "We do not believe hotels should be used in this way and will decline any requests to do so."

Y’ALL LOOK what we got in our inbox last night!

Thank you @ChoiceHotels. An important first step. How will you ensure your franchisees uphold this commitment? We know that franchisors can and do impose all sorts of rules and requirements on individual franchisees. Will you? pic.twitter.com/uqQZOjM8UD
— Sanctuary DMV (@SanctuaryDMV) July 12, 2019

Marriott and Choice Hotels' statements come after Sanctuary DMV and other activist groups sent a petition with more than 120,000 signatures to their local headquarters, according to The Hill.

Hotel companies aren't the only ones saying they won't help ICE agents during the weekend immigration raid.

In June, when the raid was initially slated to start, the Montgomery County Police Department put out a statement, saying that the force would not cooperate with federal agents attempting to arrest migrant families for deportation.

Explaining their decision, authorities said the ICE raid is a national issue, not a local issue. They also added that the force has "not received any requests from the federal government or ICE for their planned enforcement."

On June 17, Trump announced that ICE would remove "millions of illegal aliens" who've made their way into the U.S. Since then, multiple elected officials across the country — including Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and Council President Nancy Navarro — have chided Trump's remarks and assured residents that local law enforcement will not partake in these raids.

The initial raid, scheduled for June 23, was postponed. It was put on hold for two weeks, according to Trump, so Democrats could come up with an immigration deal.

Now that these raids are back on, local activists and immigration rights groups are urging immigrant families to read up on their rights.

Charles W. Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center in Silver Spring has already updated its FAQ guide online.

"This guide is designed to point you in the right direction and to suggest resources. It is not meant to be a substitute for legal advice," the guide read.

SEE ALSO:

• ICE Raids: Montgomery Police Won't Assist In Immigration Sweep
• Bethesda Church Offers Mother Sanctuary From Deportation: WATCH
• Lights For Liberty Vigil Planned In Baltimore Ahead Of ICE Raids
• Annapolis Rally To Be Held July 12 For Detained Immigrants

Includes reporting by Patch Editor Beth Dalbey.