Motel 6 to pay $12M to settle lawsuit over guest privacy

SEATTLE — The national chain Motel 6 agreed Thursday to pay $12 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Washington state claiming names of hotel guests were improperly provided to immigration officials for two years, the state attorney general said.

The information led to targeted investigations by U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who went after people with Latino-sounding names, Attorney General Bob Ferguson said.

Some guests staying at seven Motel 6 locations in the state were detained or deported, he said. Those sites were in north Everett, south Everett, Bellingham, South Seattle, Tacoma and two in SeaTac.

“Motel 6’s actions tore families apart and violated the privacy rights of tens of thousands of Washingtonians,” Ferguson said in a statement. “Our resolution holds Motel 6 accountable for illegally handing over guests’ private information without a warrant.”

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