Protesters Demand Hilton Garden Inn Stop Housing ICE Agents: Demonstrations and Arrests in Manhattan
Protesters took over the lobby of a Manhattan hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn on Sixth Avenue in Tribeca, demanding that the hotel chain stop housing federal immigration enforcement agents. Signs with messages like “Hilton DON’T LET ICE STAY” and “HILTON: STOP HOUSING ICE” were displayed as protesters chanted and held images of Renee Good, who was killed by a federal officer in Minneapolis. Around 300 people were present at the scene, with approximately 60 protesters choosing to stay in the lobby and getting arrested by the NYPD. The remaining protesters outside dispersed peacefully later in the evening. It is unclear if ICE agents actually stay at the hotel. The Department of Homeland Security had previously criticized a Minneapolis Hilton hotel for cancelling federal officer reservations related to immigration work. Hilton and Department of Homeland Security representatives were not immediately available for comment. Anti-ICE protests were also reported in Foley Square on the same day, near the Hilton Hotel, following previous demonstrations in Union Square and a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The situation is still developing, and updates will be provided as they become available.