After New Times Story, Motel 6 Says It Will Stop Sharing Guest Lists With ICE

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Phoenix New Times

After New Times Story, Motel 6 Says It Will Stop Sharing Guest Lists With ICE

ANTONIA NOORI FARZAN SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 6:00AM

After we published a story Wednesday revealing that Motel 6 locations in Phoenix seemed to be collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the internet pretty much exploded.

#BoycottMotel6 started trending. The ACLU demanded answers. People called on Tom Bodett to respond. Well-known Latino cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz sketched a "Motel 6 Immigration Detention Camp." An otherwise innocuous post about fall foliage on the company's Facebook page attracted hundreds of angry comments. Motel 6 even got yelled at by a coleslaw fan account.
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Motel 6 @motel6
Statement Regarding Recent Media Reports on Phoenix-area Location
10:22 PM - Sep 13, 2017
812 812 Replies 228 228 Retweets 264 264 likes
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We also received an emailed statement from spokeswoman Raiza Rekhoff, which says the following:

Thank you for your email and my apologies for the late response. Regarding your media story on the Phoenix-area location, this was implemented at the local level without the knowledge of senior management. When we became aware of it last week, it was discontinued. We are currently further investigating and will provide more information shortly.
....

So while we'd like to take this response as a victory for local journalism, we'll continue to be on the lookout for ICE activity at Motel 6 as well as other local hotels and motels. Please feel free to email [e-mail] or [e-mail] with any tips.

Joe Flaherty contributed reporting.

Antonia is a staff writer at New Times and an honors graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Before moving to Arizona, she worked for the New Times Broward-Palm Beach.
CONTACT: Antonia Noori Farzan

2017 Phoenix New Times, LLC. All rights reserved.






Read more: http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/phoenix-new-times-story-motel-6-will-stop-sharing-guest-lists-ice-9688447

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There's a little bit of news in that story and a lot of self-congratulation. Nonetheless, it is their story.

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Great reporting by @phoenixnewtimes.

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After New Times Story, Motel 6 Says It Will Stop Sharing Guest Lists With ICE

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[ret5hd]

1. What I believe to be Motel6's incentive:

A family/group of suspected foreigners pays for a multiple night stay.

Motel 6 calls ICE, gets them deported.

Motel 6 re-rents the room and keeps the money from the first group.

[ToxMarz]

3. I think either the local Motel 6 operator is a right wing nut who voluntarily did this

or else possibly they got caught in some sting (prostitution, drugs, you name it) and were offered a deal in exchange for cooperating.

[jalan48]

2. Is this the outfit with the folksy, "We'll leave the light on for you" ad guy?

[FakeNoose]

6. Yes - the same

[BigmanPigman]

7. They leave the lights on to keep the roaches hidden

When I lived in Brooklyn, NYC I had to sleep with the lights on due to the light fearing roaches. They crawled on me in bed! I moved to Hoboken after two weeks.

[Turn CO Blue]

4. So the local managers don't have to report ICE raids to senior mgt or to corporate? Seems odd.

When I worked at an airline, the agents and crew had witness reports to fill out for their managers any time LEO, TSA, DEA, Customs, US Marshalls did anything on the tarmac close to our gates or in the airport involving passengers on the manifest.

The least of the reasons was for limiting liability in insurance claims, in case somebody later claimed injury/falls or asked for a ticket refund.

[StatGirl]

5. It may be a franchised motel

Often, owners of a franchised business have a good deal more latitude than managers of a business that's owned directly by the company.

[tammywammy]

8. The New Times article specifically noted the two they knew of were corporate owned, not franchises.

[StatGirl]

9. Interesting, thanks! (nt)