Immigration protests in Minnesota put pressure on local hotels and chains
The co-chair of Herrick's Real Estate Hospitality Practice, Yariv Ben-Ari, was quoted by Travel Weekly discussing the complicated nature of law enforcement and hotels. As the national discussion is focused on the Trump administration's large-scale immigration operation in Minnesota this winter and the protests in response, hotels and hospitality leaders are caught in the middle of the conversation. Protesters don't want hotels hosting ICE agents, creating tension between corporate policy and on-the-ground sentiment, and in some cases, safety concerns.
The heightened enforcement environment has prompted hotels to implement comprehensive staff-training protocols, according to Yariv.
"There's a big, big focus on training the staff all the way from the front door through the back of the house on what to do should law enforcement show up, be it ICE or any other agency," he said, adding that effective training should cover what access a staff needs to provide to law enforcement and what access they don't, as well as "how to engage with law enforcement and those who may be opposed to law enforcement being there."
Yariv added that properties should ensure legal counsel is available so staff can call with questions.
"Staff needs to have the availability of somebody to answer questions on the spot," he said. "At the end of the day, a hotel is a place of business. You're there providing a service, and you need to treat everybody who comes into your establishment with respect and courtesy, because it's the hospitality industry."