Gallego and Jayapal Demand Answers from ICE on Motel 6

On Friday, Congressman Rubén Gallego (D-AZ) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) wrote to Acting ICE Director Thomas Homan demanding answers in the wake of reports that the agency regularly obtained guest lists from two Phoenix-area Motel 6 locations and used that information to question and detain individuals believed to be undocumented. The letter calls on Homan to expressly prohibit the practice of combing hotel records to identify suspects and requests information about how and why this misguided tactic was employed, including whether guests at other hotels have been similarly targeted. “Targeting discount hotels is a move straight from the Joe Arpaio playbook and it provides fresh evidence that it’s time for Congress to rein-in Donald Trump’s unaccountable, out-of-control immigration authorities,” said Gallego. Motel 6 on Thursday confirmed that some Motel 6 properties in the Phoenix area were leaving the light on for ICE by providing them daily guest lists. "To help ensure that this does not occur again, we will be issuing a directive to every one of our more than 1,400 locations nationwide, making clear that they are prohibited from voluntarily providing daily guest lists to ICE," they said. See the full letter here.