Imagine the fear being so intense that it shuts down major businesses. That's exactly what happened in St. Paul, Minnesota, where two prominent hotels abruptly closed their doors, not because of financial woes, but because of the palpable fear gripping their workforce. But here's where it gets controversial: the underlying cause is alleged to be linked to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the area, though not officially confirmed.
Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures, the owner of both the DoubleTree and the InterContinental Riverfront Hotel in downtown St. Paul, cited "elevated safety and security concerns" as the reason for the temporary closures. These closures, which began on a recent Sunday, have sent shockwaves through the local hospitality industry. And this is the part most people miss: it's not just about the hotels themselves, but the ripple effect it has on the lives of the workers and the broader community.
UNITE HERE Local 17, a union representing approximately 6,000 hospitality workers across Minnesota, paints a stark picture of the situation. Christa Sarrack, the union's president, expressed deep concern, stating, "I’ve just never seen fear in our community like I’m seeing right now." This fear, she implies, stems from the perceived presence and activities of ICE in the vicinity.
While the hotel owners have remained publicly non-committal about directly linking the closures to immigration enforcement, union leaders suggest that workers have voiced significant anxieties. According to Sarrack, the presence of ICE nearby has led to fear among both hotel staff and guests, resulting in cancellations of large group bookings. This, in turn, prompted the decision to temporarily shut down the hotels.
Rumors have circulated regarding whether ICE agents were actually staying at the hotels. However, Sarrack clarified that the union has not received any confirmation of this. Regardless, the impact on the workforce is undeniable. The union represents workers in approximately 20 hotels across the metro area and Rochester, and union leaders report that hundreds of workers are currently staying home, too afraid to go to work. This raises a critical question: are these fears justified, or are they fueled by misinformation and heightened anxieties?
Sarrack emphasized that the fear extends beyond undocumented workers. "This is overwhelming fear even among people who are documented," she explained. "Many hotels have strict documentation policies. This is not just undocumented workers sitting at home being scared. This is workers across the board." She further elaborated that workers, particularly those with darker skin tones, feel targeted regardless of their documentation status. "They definitely feel like they are being targeted for their skin color, so it doesn’t matter their documentation status. If their skin color is not white, then they feel like they are going to be targeted." This statement brings to light a potentially sensitive issue: are implicit biases and racial profiling contributing to the climate of fear?
Union leaders warn that the impact of this situation could be long-lasting, particularly in an industry that relies heavily on immigrant labor. "We’re removing hard-working people from our industry," Sarrack cautioned. "It’s going to be hard to replace those workers." The potential economic consequences for the hospitality sector and the broader community are significant.
Sarrack also shared concerning reports of union members being detained at Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) International Airport, despite possessing citizenship status and having undergone extensive background checks. "We have members at the airport who have been detained, who all have citizenship status and have gone through extensive background checks, and they’re still being detained," she stated. "I think the fear is very real, and people are just seeing that constantly in social media, so it just makes them not even want to take the risk of going outside." This raises serious questions about due process and potential overreach in immigration enforcement.
The union is actively supporting families who are hesitant to go to work by providing groceries and transportation. This highlights the human cost of the situation and the efforts being made to mitigate the impact on affected families.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reportedly reached out to Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures three times, seeking clarification on the reasons for the closures and whether they were connected to immigration enforcement activity. However, as of the time of publication, the company had not responded. The silence from the hotel owners only fuels further speculation and uncertainty.
So, what do you think? Are the fears of these hotel workers justified? Should businesses be held accountable for addressing the anxieties of their employees in such situations? And what role, if any, should ICE play in reassuring communities that their operations are not targeting individuals based on race or ethnicity? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
