A significant controversy has ignited online after a prominent MAGA-aligned commentator demanded the deportation of four Indian American hotel owners. The call to action came after the owners of a Hampton Inn in Minnesota refused to provide accommodations to federal immigration enforcement officers.
The Viral Incident and the Reaction
The dispute centers on the Hampton Inn by Hilton in Lakeville, Minnesota. Reports and emails circulated on social media revealing that the hotel's staff had been instructed to reject reservations made by officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). One internal email explicitly stated, “We are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property.”
Conservative influencer Andrew Branca responded strongly on the platform X. He argued that if the owners are in the United States on visas, they should be deported. He went further, stating, “But even if they're naturalized citizens, they should be denaturalized and then deported.” Branca justified his stance by claiming that American citizenship requires acting in the nation's interests, which he believes the owners violated.
When challenged by another X user who defended the owners' constitutional rights, Branca condensed his argument into eight words: “Deport them because they are not cultural Americans.”
Who Are the Hotel Owners?
Public records identify the four Indian American partners who purchased the hotel last year through a limited liability company (LLC). The $15 million property is owned by Parmjit Singh, Amanpreet Hundal, Karandeep Nagra, and Mohinderjeet Kaur. Hilton Worldwide confirmed that the hotel is independently owned and operated, distancing itself from the incident by stating it does not reflect the company's values.
Can the Owners Actually Be Deported? The Legal Reality
The call for deportation raises complex legal questions. Under U.S. law:
- Only non-citizens can be deported. Individuals on visas or holding green cards can be removed for violating immigration rules or committing certain crimes.
- Naturalized U.S. citizens are generally protected from deportation. The government can only seek removal if it proves in court that citizenship was obtained fraudulently and successfully completes a rare denaturalization process.
- Refusing service to federal agents is not a crime. Private businesses, including hotels, generally have the right to refuse service unless it constitutes discrimination based on protected classes like race or religion. The owners' actions appear to be a political protest, not illegal discrimination.
This incident highlights the tense national debate over immigration enforcement and the limits of protest by business owners. It also underscores the protected nature of constitutional rights, even when such actions spark intense political backlash.
