Motel 6 Attorney: Info on 'Tens of Thousands' of Guests Given to ICE

A federal judge overseeing the settlement between Motel 6 and a Latino civil rights group said he needs more information on the number of guests who may have been affected by the budget chain’s practice of giving guest lists to immigration authorities.

The questions from Arizona U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell at a hearing in federal court on Tuesday underscore the difficulty of achieving a settlement for a far-flung group of people who were questioned and detained by immigration officers after they stayed at Motel 6 locations.

During the hearing, an attorney for Motel 6 acknowledged that tens of thousands of guests' information was turned over to immigration authorities. However, data on Motel 6 guests who were questioned by ICE or deported is in the hands of the federal government, the attorney said – if such data even exists.

Last year, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), a California-based Latino legal advocacy group, filed a class-action lawsuit against the budget motel chain after Phoenix New Times reporting revealed two Motel 6 locations in Phoenix were providing guest lists to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, leading to the frequent arrest of undocumented guests.

Read more: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/judge-questions-scope-of-motel-6-settlement-over-ice-guest-lists-11186746