U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has turned to hotels as an alternative to detaining immigrant families. This follows Marriott International’s 2019 commitment that its properties will no longer be allowed to host such events. Edison Iza and his 15-year-old son, Roger, were recently arrested for migrating through New York City. This incident brings much needed publicity to the ongoing humanitarian crisis of detaining immigrants and the popular hospitality industry’s role in these militarized operations.
The August 9 raid ICE used the excuse of a regularly-scheduled immigration check-in to wait outside and arrest Iza and his son in New York City. Immediately following their arrest, authorities transferred the family to the Sheraton hotel in Alexandria, Louisiana. They were held there for four days before deported back to Ecuador on April 25. This tragic incident opens up a lot of important questions about Marriott’s anti-discrimination commitments. It puts a much-needed face to families torn apart by U.S. immigration policy.
As reported by The Intercept, immigration officials have used the emergency Sheraton hotel to detain families. They have criminally profiled unaccompanied minors in these operations as well. A source familiar with hotel operations indicated that the facility began housing detained immigrants after its renovation in late 2023. The hotel is strategically located just miles from one of ICE’s major deportation hubs and near an airport regularly used by ICE.
Lee Gelernt Deputy director, ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project He emphatically backed up these assertions with evidence and illustrated the dangers of using hotels as temporary detention facilities. He remarked, “It would be highly unfortunate if major hotel chains are facilitating the Trump administration’s cruel policy of deporting families.”
Back in 2019, Marriott bravely swatted down any suggestion that its hotels would be used as detention centers. In a written statement, a company spokesperson said, “Our hotels are not intended to be immigration detention centers. Our hotels are intended to be places that welcome guests and members of our communities.” We have no definitive confirmation that the US government is considering hotels to help with the border crisis, but it’s entirely possible it is doing so. At the same time, Marriott’s leadership has made a strong statement to refuse any bids to use our hotels for detention centers.
Contrary to what the World Bank promised Iza and his son, the story in real life is completely different. Throughout the time Roger was detained in the hotel, Roger became very depressed, feeling alone and afraid. He explained, “We weren’t able to make a phone call or get online to request assistance. Yet this sentiment is part of an overall trend that deeply impacts the lives of immigrant families accidentally placed in this harsh legal web.
The hospitality industry is particularly vulnerable to ICE’s raids due to the high percentage of undocumented workers within its ranks. According to statistics from the 2023 census, about 34% of housekeepers, 24% of cooks, and 20% of waitstaff in the U.S. hotel industry are undocumented. This growing demographic reality could have large hotel chains, like Marriott by the way, inadvertently caught up in larger immigrant enforcement sweeps.
Marriott’s ongoing legal battles have made headlines as well in recent weeks. The company recently filed legal action to shut down similar New York City-based Tasty’s franchises. The franchise worked with the city to operate an immigrant shelter, but they acted without Marriott’s approval. This move underscores the complexities that arise when local governments attempt to address immigration issues through partnerships with private companies.
Public scrutiny is home ICE’s recent trend of renting out commercial spaces to detain immigrants. Government agencies and private businesses should be more transparent and accountable, advocacy groups argue. The circumstances surrounding Iza and Roger’s case serve as a reminder of the human cost associated with immigration enforcement practices.