Activists protest Hilton CEO over rooms rented to ICE

Activists gathered in Arlington on Thursday to protest outside the home of Hilton’s CEO, accusing the hotel chain of helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement by renting rooms to federal agents and pressuring franchise owners who refuse. FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick reports that organizers want Hilton to stop providing lodging to ICE, saying the practice enables federal immigration operations. The protest comes as state and local leaders in Virginia and Maryland take steps to limit ICE’s reach. In Virginia, Gov. Abigail Spanberger has ended the state’s 287(g) agreements, which allowed state police and some local departments to perform certain federal immigration duties under ICE supervision. Spanberger said law enforcement will still cooperate with valid judicial warrants from ICE but should remain focused on enforcing Virginia laws. In Howard County, Maryland, County Executive Calvin Ball has revoked the permit for a private ICE detention facility in Elkridge and banned any privately owned buildings from operating as detention centers. The 28,000‑square‑foot site, nearly finished after being converted from office space, failed to meet state notice and public hearing requirements, Ball said. He also noted the building sits in an office park less than a mile from several schools and churches, calling it an unsuitable location.