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MALDEF President Discusses Class Action Lawsuit Against Motel 6

Published: Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 3:28pm
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A Latino legal civil rights organization filed a class action lawsuit against Motel 6 this week. This comes after the Phoenix New Times exposed the company for calling ICE officials on guests who they suspected may be in the U.S. illegally.

The lawsuit, which was brought by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF, alleges that Motel 6 broke federal laws against discrimination and conspiracy. It also alleges the company broke Arizona laws that protect privacy and consumers.

We reached out to Motel 6 for comment and the company provided a statement that reads: “In September, Motel 6 issued a directive to every one of our more than 1,400 locations, making it clear that they are prohibited from voluntarily providing daily guests lists to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). While we cannot comment on specific pending litigation, we take this issue and the privacy of our guests very seriously.”

Joining us now to talk about this is Thomas Andrew Saenz, president and general counsel for MALDEF.

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