This is fucked up:
The front-desk clerk told him that he needed to show identification in order to reserve a room. Rodriguez-Juarez handed over the only thing he had — a Mexican voter ID card.
Six hours later, he was lying on the bed, watching TV, when he heard a knock at the door.
He opened it. Three agents from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement were waiting for him.
[…]A Phoenix New Times review of court records found that between February and August, ICE agents made at least 20 arrests at Motel 6s, showing up roughly every two weeks.
(((CassandraLeo)))
At this point, I don’t consider it particularly hyperbolic to compare ICE to the Gestapo. This is simultaneously horrible and not remotely surprising.
Kryptik
Fucked up, unconscionable, and cruel. Thus, also totally in line with the kind of America that Trump & co have enabled and exploited.
This is precisely the future that your Jeff Sessions, Kris Kobaches, Steve Kings, and of course Donald Trumps want: immigrants living in terror, because apparently that’s the only way the Real, God-Fearing (White) Americans can ever sleep well at night. If brown people aren’t persecuted in this country, then my god, it could be them!
geg6
@(((CassandraLeo))):
And apparently, Motel 6 is Twitler’s willing executioner.
TenguPhule
Seems unusually petty just to steal $45 room payments from guests.
So I’m gonna go with them being racist fuckheads.
geg6
Not that I ever have reason to stay at a Motel 6, but this pretty much guarantees that should that be the only shelter available, I’ll be sleeping in my car.
TenguPhule
John Cole is not going to be a merry old soul.
Betty Cracker
Revolting. I find the company’s muted response interesting. If this had happened at a more upscale place, I suspect the corporate PR flacks would have disavowed their local employees’ actions, maybe fired or at least vowed to retrain people and issued statements making it clear they don’t profile guests. Maybe Motel 6 figures their customer base won’t mind?
schrodingers_cat
Who owns Motel 6? Is it a franchise.
hellslittlestangel
That “we’ll leave the light on for you” slogan will have to be replaced. Maybe “brown people check in but they don’t check out” would be more suitable?
Betty Cracker
BTW, Hillary Clinton is going to be on Maddow’s show tonight. Gonna have to pop up some kettle corn for that.
mouse tolliver
Google “Motel 6 racist” and you’ll find results unrelated to ICE.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/motel-6-racial-slur_n_1720762.html
I think it’s fair to say Motel 6 is racist.
Doug!
@schrodingers_cat:
It sounds like it’s just a couple hotels doing it. I think it’s a franchise.
trollhattan
In your eyes there is a vacancy
And you know what I’ll do
When the light outside changes from red to blue
Red and blue lights, alright. Just ducky, is there a bounty of twenty bucks/Mexican?
Doug!
@trollhattan:
I’ve always loved that song though I have no idea what it’s about
Booger
Well I certainly hope this becomes a PR nightmare for Motel 6. What’s Spicer doing? Doesn’t he need a gig?
Patricia Kayden
@geg6: Me too. This is disgusting. Makes you wonder how low this administration is willing to go in its demonization of Brown and Black people.
Major Major Major Major
@TenguPhule: good thing the chances of its passage are another Elvis Costello lyric, less than zero.
Laura
So the call to ICE is after the payment processes. Motel 6 collaborates with the Gestapo, what do they get in return -in addition to that feeling of smug superiority?
geg6
@Betty Cracker:
Yes, I set the dvr for it just in case Lovey and Koda decide that would be the perfect moment to desperately need to stroll through the yard one last time before bed.
eclare
@geg6: Same here, and if anyone else needs shelter, they are welcome in my car.
TenguPhule
@Laura:
$200 per head, allegedly.
Patricia Kayden
@Laura:
According to an article I found on JoeMyGod, there was speculation that they got paid for each arrest.
TenguPhule
@Patricia Kayden:
The problem with even asking this question is that the other side then treats it as a challenge.
germy
Hoodie
Besides being handmaidens of the Trumpenstaatzpolizei, it’s a stupid business decision considering the likely demographic of motel6 customers, particularly in certain parts of the country. Steve Mnuchin ain’t stayin there.
randy khan
@Laura:
The room opens up in case someone else comes by.
But, wow, this is pretty awful. (Not to mention, of course, that there are lots of people who only have foreign ID who are not subject to deportation. And one wonders if this happens to people named, oh, Klaus Schmidt or Francoise DePuy.)
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major:
I’ll celebrate when its actually dead and we ritually burn the paper corpse.
rikyrah
@TenguPhule:
Andy Slavitt has been a great resource
trollhattan
@Doug!:
Yup, a lot packed into a brief few verses. My stab at it is the tale of somebody who was shot while canoodling with a girl at a motel, but it’s murky enough that he could be the shooter, the girl could be a prostitute and Sam is her pimp.
i.e., typical Elvis.
rikyrah
@Patricia Kayden:
This is who they are.
Doug!
@trollhattan:
Who Shot Sam is an old George Jones song.
Aleta
How to deep-six your brand
(Maybe this has changed, but I don’t think they’ve apologized, just said ‘not our company’s fault.’)
Doug!
@trollhattan:
This amazing website is a great resource
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
Can you blame them? They’re taking motel rooms away from hard working whites.
The Moar You Know
@Doug!: The article specifically states that the Motel 6 in question is corporate owned, not a franchise.
It’s company policy. Which is unbelievable. I don’t believe for a second that it’s rogue employees.
Major Major Major Major
@TenguPhule: I’ll mark my calendar for two weeks from Saturday.
germy
@Doug!: I saw Costello at Radio City Music Hall in the mid-’80s. Opening act was Nick Lowe. One of the best shows I’d ever seen.
TenguPhule
@Aleta:
Mistakes were made.
Who could have known?
We must move on.
germy
@Aleta: See comment #24, their company spokesman tweeted the corporation response.
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major: I have a bottle of cinnamon whiskey reserved.
randy khan
@germy:
The comments on that tweet are great.
SiubhanDuinne
I just shot off an email to NPR’s ombudsman:
Major Major Major Major
@TenguPhule: I’m actually going to be very relieved (for about ten seconds I imagine) when the reconciliation deadline passes.
TenguPhule
Dear gods, there’s a fan account on Facebook for coleslaw.
Betty Cracker
Years ago (early 90s), I stayed a Motel 6 in Atlanta and another one in Baltimore while interviewing for jobs. I think my mom had coupons or something. Anyhoo, the Atlanta one was normal — diverse staff, no overt racism.
But in Baltimore, the front desk clerk said the most racist thing anyone representing a business has ever said to me. I’d asked her about the neighborhood, and she said, “It’s fine if you don’t mind living with niggers.”
I was so taken aback I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. I wish I’d said something like, “Good — that would mean there are fewer ignorant, racist shitheads like you.” But honestly, I was too shocked to respond.
germy
@SiubhanDuinne:
Quite a few of those; we could probably fill several stadiums.
Patricia Kayden
@germy: Well that’s good to hear, I guess. Anyone on the local level who authorized this should be fired.
dmsilev
@TenguPhule:
Don’t fuck with the cabbage, is all I’m saying.
Timurid
@TenguPhule:
Por que no los dos?
germy
@randy khan: This comment:
almost makes me want to tune in and listen to see if they talk about it. I can’t stand those radio game shows, but my wife often listens. Should be interesting.
Patricia Kayden
@TenguPhule: lol!! That’s the most important thing you got from that story? I assume you’re no fan of Cole slaw then.
d58826
I can’t find the link but was just reading that when Trump visited Naples Fla as part of his Hurricane tour, an oddly large number of the crowd were wearing MAGA hats and Trump T-shirts. Would it be politically incorrect to wonder if the event was actually a staged political event?
Frankensteinbeck
@TenguPhule:
We already knew it would be horrible. Since nobody was relying on McCain to vote against it anyway, do we have any indication there are 50 votes to pass it? There were three hard ‘no’s on any variation of gutting Medicaid last time. Has McConnell said he wants to try this? Or are Graham just farting on-camera because the news will let them do it?
SiubhanDuinne
@germy:
I’m sure that’s true. We need to let NPR know that. One email from me isn’t going to make a difference. But if enough people threaten a boycott, they might pay attention. I dunno, but it can’t hurt to speak out:
https://help.npr.org/customer/portal/emails/new?i=1&s=Wait%20Wait…Don%27t%20Tell%20Me
Click Contact, click Ombudsman, and go!
Aleta
@germy: Yes, that statement last night is my point. No apology. Just “local level, not our company.” This had been going on for awhile before the press. They need to take more responsibility than this. Are they looking into how it happened? Will they fire whoever teamed up with ICE and ignored (what I hope was) company policy to protect the privacy of their guests? Will they ask that ICE be accountable for requesting or accepting the guest lists?
germy
@SiubhanDuinne: Thank you.
Betty Cracker
@d58826: I’m convinced of it. Same thing happened during his drive-by in Houston when he commented on the “great turnout.” There were supposed hurricane-ravaged people with remarkably unweathered campaign swag. Part of the con job.
chopper
@TenguPhule:
makes sense. coleslaw is fucking delicious.
p.a.
Roses are red
Tacos are enjoyable
Don’t blame Mexicans
For white unemployables
TenguPhule
@Frankensteinbeck:
I have no idea, but Andy Slavitt seems to think its serious enough.
Wouldn’t hurt to make some calls anyway.
Major Major Major Major
@Frankensteinbeck: Rand Paul said no already and somebody else (Hatch?) blew it a raspberry too.
Hal
@TenguPhule:
Guests staying at Motel 6 have no right to know their personal information is being sent to ICE? This isn’t an investigative technique, it’s a back door operation they’ve setup with Motel 6 that I’m sure would be disturbing to many of it’s customers, regardless of where they’re coming from.
gvg
I read that hotel employee as saying they reported the personal identifying info on ALL guests every day not just the immigrants. I find that appalling too. there is enough identity theft that it should never be the policy of any company to be sharing a lot of data without a specific warrant, not to mention I don’t trust the accuracy of ICE. it’s a crazy policy.
Wrong too of course and bigoted, but so extreme that it will be impacting random non illegal non immigrants.
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major:
Rand Paul also thinks refusal implies consent.
Now if Hatch is a no, that’s probably more reassuring. Probably.
Boatboy_srq
@geg6: Motel 6 is Accor. Which means this also hits Red Roof, Ibis, Mercure, Novotel, Sofitel, Pullman and Raffles establishments. That won’t matter so very much in the US, but there’s a lot of European business that might get impacted if the word gets out. It also means, though, that calls to corporate offices by anyone outside WaPo, FTFNYT, or Big TV News will almost certainly not get returned anyway.
SatanicPanic
I would boycott I never stay there anyway
Boatboy_srq
@TenguPhule:
That’s Olympic gold medal grade burn. Pity that its also highly accurate.
Major Major Major Major
@TenguPhule: I think Hatch’s comment was along the lines of there is absolutely no way this will pass and most of us don’t even want to have another fucking vote on this fucking thing.
Davebo
@Doug!: The two locations mentioned in the article are corporate owned, not franchises.
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major:
Check out the new thread up top. Looks like it is a serious threat after all.
Aleta
Will Motel-6 put their policy of (as they’re claiming) non-cooperation with ICE without a warrant, down in writing in each franchise contract? And include in the contract a reference to the laws that apply to policing and to the privacy of all their guests?
Tokyokie
Some undocumented folks have valid driver’s U.S. licenses. Was Motel 6 tipping off ICE as to any guests who looked suspicious as well? Or was ICE busting all those with Hispanic surnames?
trollhattan
@Doug!: Wow, great, thanks! (Spikes rest of day’s productivity.)
TenguPhule
@Tokyokie:
Yes.
Beezus
HILTON owns the Motel 6 brand – time for a big time BOYCOTT. According to the article, every morning the motel provides ICE a complete list of all guests…
Corner Stone
@Betty Cracker: I am also looking forward to this, very much. I would be looking forward about 1000X more if it were with Joy Reid. Rachel is such a soft interviewer I don’t think we’re going to get too much from HRC on this. Probably a summary of things we have already heard.
I think Joy would have HRC pounding the table and yelling, “You’re god damned right I think Trump ordered the Code Red!”
geg6
@Beezus:
Well now, I have often stayed at a Hilton. Guess I won’t anymore.
Corner Stone
Nicolle Wallace just snapped it off again on Jemele Hill and ESPN.
A Ghost to Most
@Betty Cracker: Be glad you have a filter.
Mine is defective, at best, and often reply back, when walking away would be far more prudent.
A Ghost to Most
I wonder how many other hotels have been doing this?
TenguPhule
A South Korean delegation asks Washington for nuclear weapons
I do not like where this is going.
Davebo
@TenguPhule:
Ironically CoreCivic, formerly the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the largest operator of private detention facilities utilized by ICE got their start by purchasing a crap hotel in N. Houston and converting it temporarily to a detention facility for aliens awaiting deportation.
Davebo
@Beezus: Actually The Blackstone Group acquired Motel 6 in 2012. Accor owned them before that.
trollhattan
@TenguPhule:
“I love South Korea. South Koreans are the best, and they’re my friends. So when they ask me for a favor I say yes to my best friends, the South Koreans. Great country, great people, believe me.”
Something like that?
Thru the Looking Glass...
@(((CassandraLeo))): Well, I for one, will never stay at a Motel 6 again…
Perhaps we should all let Motel 6 know that…
Thru the Looking Glass...
@TenguPhule:
Uhhhhh… terrible idea?
Which means, naturally, Drumpf will fall in love w/ it…
Davebo
@Thru the Looking Glass…: And because they are cheap, Motel 6 is popular among contracting companies and others to house employees during projects outside their normal area of operations.
This can’t bode well for that market demographic.
John Carter
You know, if you say “ICE ICE” real fast a couple times, you can almost see the black uniform, boots and shirts doing a similar job!
Seems legit!
joel hanes
@germy:
If you think that there’s any relationship between what company spox say and the truth,
I have a bridge I’d like to sell you.
Every company I have worked for, even the very good ones, have obligated their spokespersons to utter palpable lies as part of “corporate communications”.
randy khan
@Boatboy_srq:
@Beezus:
It looks like Hilton and Motel 6 are both under the control of Blackstone, but operated separately. Blackstone bought Motel 6 from Accor in 2012.
Mike G
@TenguPhule:
Unless they’ve changed recently, all Motel 6s are corporate owned.
With the rigid standardization at these places, I find it difficult to believe that two locations customized their software to send the guest list to ICE with one click. This was a function designed and approved by corporate HQ.
Duane
Motel 6 just lost my business. I’ll find somewhere else to make my meth.