The hotel targeted upward of 9,000 people over a two-year period said Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued Motel 6 on Wednesday over allegations the hotel chain disclosed private guest information to USA immigration authorities.
Ferguson's office said in a statement that at least six Motel 6 locations in the state violated the Consumer Protection Act and state privacy laws by giving the information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Motel 6 acknowledged at least six of its Washington state locations shared personal information of its guests with ICE and at least six people were detained on or near motel property during a two-year period.
Motel 6 is controlled by private equity firm Blackstone Group LP, which bought the brand in 2012. "Motel 6 takes this matter very seriously", she added, "and we have and will continue to fully cooperate with the office of the state attorney general".
Motel 6 said in a statement that it had ordered its locations in September not to share guest information without a warrant and would work with state investigators.
Motel 6 trained employees to give guest registries to ICE upon request and did not require a warrant, Ferguson's office alleged.
Ferguson said the cases in Washington state show the practice was not isolated to the two Phoenix locations.
"Motel 6 discriminated against their guests who were paying to stay at their hotel", Ferguson said during a press conference Wednesday. "We have found that is not true".
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Prosecutors allege that four Motel 6 locations released the information of more than 9,000 guests to ICE, in violation of the company's privacy policies. The actions of Motel 6 were not only disturbing and repugnant - they were also unlawful.
His office is looking into whether 15 other Motel 6 locations that operate as franchises divulged similar private information.
The state's lawsuit, which was filed in King County Superior Court, also alleges that Motel 6 was aware ICE agents had access to guest registry information, which they used to determine guests' national origin. Two more locations admitted to voluntarily releasing guest information, however they haven't revealed how many guests' information was disclosed. Guest list information included things like names, dates of birth, driver's license numbers, and license plate numbers.
Motel 6 may "keep the lights on", but what they don't tell you is that they mean the flashlight of an ICE agent.
"The 9,151 guests with information handed over to the federal government without their knowledge and request is just a starting point", Ferguson said Wednesday.
ICE spokeswoman Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe said that the agency will not comment on the lawsuit because it is not a party to the litigation and that it "does not typically disclose or discuss specific information related to the source of its enforcement leads".
Now, the state is seeking civil penalties of up to $2,000 for each violation.
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