The Motel 6 hotel chain has agreed to pay $10 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over allegations the company shared guest information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Reuters reports. The deal stems from a case filed on behalf of unidentified guests who were reportedly subjected to ICE interrogation and deportation proceedings after Motel 6 employees turned over guest lists to ICE agents. The proposed settlement would not only compensate the victims but also require Motel 6 to provide training to employees on the issue and adhere to a three-year consent decree to not give out guest information to authorities without a warrant or subpoena.
An earlier agreement to resolve the matter was rejected by an Arizona federal judge who said it did not go far enough to ensure the plaintiffs, many of whom are undocumented immigrants, would actually receive their compensation. “Motel 6 fully recognizes the seriousness of the situation and accepts full responsibility for both compensating those who were harmed and taking the necessary steps to ensure that we protect the privacy of our guests. Since this issue emerged, we’ve taken strong action to make sure a similar issue never happens again in the future,” the hotel chain said in a statement Saturday.
Read it at Reuters
