KGMI News
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Motel 6 in Bellingham is among the company’s motels in Washington that voluntarily turned guest information over to ICE according to a lawsuit by state Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
Ferguson’s suit alleges that ICE routinely used information agents got from Motel 6 to target customers based on national origin, including people with Latino-sounding names.
The suit says the company turned over customers’ room numbers, names, identification numbers and license plate numbers in violation of its own privacy policy.
Ferguson launched an investigation into Motel 6 after corporate locations in Arizona were found to have turned over customer information.
The company said at the time that it was an isolated incident.
Ferguson says at least six people were detained because of the practice in Washington state, but that everyone whose information was turned over had their rights violated under the Consumer Protection Act.
The suit asks for $2000 for every individual’s information that Motel 6 turned over plus Ferguson’s office costs.
There are 26 Motel 6 locations in Washington, many of them franchises.
The Bellingham location and the five others specifically mentioned in the lawsuit are corporate owned.
No one at the Bellingham location had comment.