Hilton Workers Banned ICE; Corporate Bosses Still Love Their Lobbyists
When Hilton's corporate management overturned their employees' decision to refuse service to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), it wasn't just about 'protocol.' It was a stark reminder that the hospitality industry, like so many others, frequently curries favor with government agencies. While the workers showed moral courage, the Hilton Worldwide Holdings PAC (lobbying entity) reported
spending $530,000 on federal lobbying in 2023 alone, according to OpenSecrets.org. This extensive influence peddling ensures that inconvenient employee ethics don't interfere with maintaining 'good relations' with the state. Apparently, some customers are more equal than others. One might wonder if Hilton’s corporate offices find their own moral compass when ICE’s methods fill their hotel rooms or
if their lobbying expenditures merely guarantee unfettered access for those with badges and guns. The 'customer is always right' motto, it seems, applies selectively when the customer is a government agency with a controversial human rights record.