The state of Washington is suing Motel 6, alleging the low-cost hotel chain repeatedly provided detailed information about guests to federal immigration authorities for at least two years in violation of a state consumer protection law. 
 
 Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Wednesday that at least six corporate-owned hotels provided U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials daily lists of guests, including their names, driver’s license numbers, dates of birth and room numbers. 
 
 ... ||||| 0 Washington state sues Motel 6 for sharing guest lists with ICE 
 
 Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has sued Motel 6, charging the company with sharing its guest lists with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. He says the company violated privacy rights and discriminated against thousands of Washingtonians. 
 
 The motel company voluntarily gave the guest lists to ICE on a routine basis for at least two years, according to Ferguson. Each time Motel 6 released a guest list, it included the name and private information of every guest at the hotel, the lawsuit says. 
 
 Personal information released included customers’ driver’s license numbers, room numbers, names, guest identification numbers, dates of birth and license plate numbers, according to the lawsuit. 
 
 “After news reports in Arizona revealed Motel 6 staff was handing over guests’ private information, Motel 6 implied this was a local problem,” Ferguson said. “We have found that is not true. Washingtonians have a right to privacy, and protection from discrimination. I will hold Motel 6 accountable and uncover the whole story of their disturbing conduct.” 
 
 The Attorney General’s Office began investigating the motel chain’s Washington locations in September and alleges that the incidents in Arizona were not isolated. 
 
 Image: AG's office 
 
 According to Ferguson, Motel 6 officials admit that at least six of the company's Washington state locations -- in Bellingham, North Everett, South Everett, South Seattle, SeaTac and South Tacoma -- shared personal information of its guests with ICE; this led to the detention of at least six people. 
 
 Four of those locations released the personal information of at least 9,151 guests to ICE, even though its privacy policy assured consumers it would protect this information, according to the attorney general. 
 
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 Ferguson asserts that Motel 6 knew that ICE used the guest lists to target customers based on national origin, including customers with Latino-sounding names. His office says the company trained new employees on the process to give the guest registry and all the names of their guests to ICE. 
 
 "At the South Everett location, for example, ICE agents visited the motels early in the morning or late at night, requested the day’s guest list, circled any Latino-sounding names and returned to their vehicles," a news release on Ferguson's investigation said. "On at least one occasion, ICE later returned to the motel and detained at least one individual. The Attorney General’s investigators discovered that from Feb. 1 to Sept. 14, 2017, the South Everett location gave guests’ private, personal information to ICE on approximately 228 occasions in a 225-day period." 
 
 The lawsuit filed on Wednesday claims that Motel 6 committed thousands of violations of the Consumer Protection Act and hundreds of violations of the Washington Law Against Discrimination. 
 
 A Washington state Supreme Court case established that guest registry information is private and that random searches of this information violates rights to privacy found in the Washington Constitution. 
 
 In that case, State v. Jorden, the court said, “Information contained in a motel registry constitutes a private affair under article 1, section 7 of the Washington State Constitution because it reveals sensitive, discrete, and private information about the motel’s guest.” 
 
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 © 2018 Cox Media Group. ||||| Motel 6 provided guests’ personal information to law enforcement without warrant 
 
 SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced a lawsuit against national hotel chain Motel 6 for voluntarily providing guest lists to agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on a routine basis for at least two years. Each time Motel 6 released a guest list, it included the name and private information of every guest at the hotel. 
 
 The Attorney General’s Office began to investigate Motel 6 locations in Washington after two Motel 6 locations in Arizona made national news for voluntarily providing guests’ personal information to ICE. Motel 6 admits that at least six of its Washington state locations shared personal information of its guests with ICE. This lead to significant consequences including the detention of at least six individuals. 
 
 Specifically, four of those locations released the personal information of at least 9,151 guests to ICE, even though its privacy policy assured consumers it would protect this information. Motel 6 admits that two additional locations shared this private information with ICE, but has not provided details regarding the number of individuals affected. The personal information released included customers’ driver’s license numbers, room number, name, guest identification number, date of birth and license plate number. The voluntary release of this information constitutes an unfair and deceptive business practice, and violates the Consumer Protection Act. 
 
 Additionally, Ferguson asserts that Motel 6 knew that ICE used its guest lists to target customers based on national origin, including customers with Latino-sounding names. Motel 6’s actions constituted discrimination against these individuals based on their national origin, a violation of the Washington Law Against Discrimination. 
 
 The lawsuit, filed today in King County Superior Court, asserts that Motel 6 committed thousands of violations of the Consumer Protection Act and hundreds of violations of the Washington Law Against Discrimination. Motel 6 admits ICE detained at least six people as a result of this practice on or near Motel 6 property. 
 
 “After news reports in Arizona revealed Motel 6 staff was handing over guests’ private information, Motel 6 implied this was a local problem,” Ferguson said. “We have found that is not true. Washingtonians have a right to privacy, and protection from discrimination. I will hold Motel 6 accountable and uncover the whole story of their disturbing conduct.” 
 
 Motel 6 has more than 1,200 locations across North America with more than 105,000 rooms. The company owns and operates 26 locations in Washington, including both company-owned and franchise-owned motels. All six locations mentioned in the lawsuit are corporate-owned motels. 
 
 In September 2017, a reporter in Arizona published reports that Motel 6 voluntarily provided guest lists to ICE without a warrant at two corporate-owned locations in the Phoenix area, leading to the detention of at least 20 individuals in Arizona. After the story made national news, Motel 6 released a short statement that the practice of providing guest information to ICE was “implemented at the local level without the knowledge of senior management.” 
 
 The Attorney General’s Office began investigating the motel chain’s Washington locations in September and discovered that the incidents in Arizona were not isolated. 
 
 The office interviewed several people who have worked at these Motel 6 locations in Washington. During the Attorney General’s investigation, Motel 6 admitted that at least six Washington Motel 6 locations provided guest registry information to ICE agents since at least 2015: Bellingham, North Everett, South Everett, South Seattle, SeaTac and South Tacoma. The Attorney General’s investigators discovered that over a two-year period, four of the six locations released the information of more than 9,000 guests. The company provided no details regarding two of those six locations, and only partial information for the other four locations. Consequently, the number of guests affected by Motel 6’s practice will undoubtedly increase significantly when it is required to provide more information during the course of the lawsuit. 
 
 Ferguson’s lawsuit asserts Motel 6 violated the law every time it voluntary released an individual’s private information to ICE. The consequences for some guests were significant. This unlawful practice led to ICE detaining at least six guests at the motels. 
 
 In addition to continuing to investigate the extent of violations of the six Motel 6 locations mentioned in the lawsuit, the Attorney General’s Office will investigate whether the remaining 20 Motel 6 locations in Washington illegally provided information. 
 
 The guest lists released by Motel 6 included customers’ room number, name, guest identification number, date of birth and license plate number ¾ information that is protected under Washington state law. A Washington state Supreme Court case established that guest registry information is private and that random searches of this information violates rights to privacy found in the Washington Constitution. 
 
 In that case, State v. Jorden, the court said, “Information contained in a motel registry constitutes a private affair under article 1, section 7 of the Washington State Constitution because it reveals sensitive, discrete, and private information about the motel’s guest.” 
 
 The court noted there are a variety of lawful reasons an individual may want their hotel stay to remain private: “The desire for privacy may extend to business people engaged in confidential negotiations … One could also imagine a scenario … where a domestic violence victim flees to a hotel in hopes of remaining hidden from an abuser.” 
 
 The Motel 6 privacy policy states that it is “committed to safeguarding the privacy of the personal information that we gather.” 
 
 Motel 6 locations provided a form for ICE visits, referred to as a “law enforcement acknowledgement form,” which agents signed upon receiving the day’s guest list. At least three of these locations changed the form in the same way at about the same time in May 2017. 
 
 Motel 6 trained new employees on the process to give the guest registry and all the names of their guests to ICE. The training and practice did not require the agents to produce a warrant. 
 
 At the South Everett location, for example, ICE agents visited the motels early in the morning or late at night, requested the day’s guest list, circled any Latino-sounding names and returned to their vehicles. On at least one occasion, ICE later returned to the motel and detained at least one individual. The Attorney General’s investigators discovered that from Feb. 1 to Sept. 14, 2017, the South Everett location gave guests’ private, personal information to ICE on approximately 228 occasions in a 225-day period. 
 
 Motel 6 knew that ICE used the guest lists to target guests based on their national origin. The Washington Law Against Discrimination specifically prohibits direct and indirect discrimination on the basis of national origin, Ferguson’s lawsuit alleges that Motel 6 did both. 
 
 Specific alleged violations 
 
 Ferguson’s lawsuit alleges the following violations of the Consumer Protection Act and the Washington Law Against Discrimination: 
 
 Motel 6 committed unfair acts in violation of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) by violating its guests’ right to privacy. 
 
 Motel 6 committed deceptive acts in violation of the CPA by violating its own privacy policy and misrepresenting its privacy policy to guests and prospective guests. 
 
 Motel 6 committed an automatic violation of the CPA by violating the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) in the course of trade or commerce. 
 
 Motel 6 violated the WLAD by denying the full enjoyment of places of public accommodation to its guests on the basis of the guests’ national origin. 
 
 Motel 6 violated the WLAD when its motels, as places of public accommodation, directly or indirectly discriminated against its guests on the basis of the guests’ national origin. 
 
 Ferguson argues that each time Motel 6 disclosed each guest’s name and information qualifies as a separate violation of the Consumer Protection Act. The office asks for civil penalties of up to $2,000 per violation. 
 
 The state also asks for recovery of its costs and fees. 
 
 The Attorney General’s Office will continue with its investigation to discover the entire scope of the unlawful disclosures made by Motel 6 and seek appropriate relief from the court. 
 
 If you believe you were affected by Motel 6's practices, please contact the Wing Luke Civil Rights Unit at (844) 323-3864. 
 
 Assistant Attorney General Mitchell Riese of the AGO’s Civil Rights Unit is lead attorney in the case. 
 
 Ferguson created the Wing Luke Civil Rights Unit in 2015 to protect the rights of all Washington residents by enforcing state and federal anti-discrimination laws. Ferguson named the unit for Wing Luke, who served as an Assistant Attorney General for the state of Washington in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He went on to become the first person of color elected to the Seattle City Council and the first Asian-American elected to public office in the Pacific Northwest. 
 
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 The Office of the Attorney General is the chief legal office for the state of Washington with attorneys and staff in 27 divisions across the state providing legal services to roughly 200 state agencies, boards and commissions. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more. 
 
 Contacts: 
 
 Brionna Aho, Communications Director, (360) 753-2727; brionna.aho@atg.wa.gov ||||| Contact: Email Consumer Resource Center Available Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 1-800-551-4636 (Washington Only) 
 
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 The Consumer Protection Division is composed of attorneys and professional staff. The division enforces the Consumer Protection Act ( RCW 19.86 ) and other statutes to help keep the Washington marketplace free of unfair and deceptive practices. The division investigates and files legal actions to stop unfair and deceptive practices, recovers refunds for consumers, seeks penalties against offending entities, and recovers costs and fees to ensure that wrongdoers pay for their actions. Division staff participate in the many legislative initiatives that affect consumer protection each year. 
 
 The division’s Consumer Resource Center provides an informal complaint resolution service. The informal complaint resolution process includes notifying businesses of written complaints and facilitating communication between the consumer and the business to assist in resolving the complaint. 
 
 The Consumer Protection Division provides information and education to businesses and the public on consumer issues and issues alerts and press releases to warn consumers and businesses about fraudulent or predatory activities. 
 
 The Consumer Protection Division is also responsible for the administration of Washington’s Lemon Law for new motor vehicle warranty enforcement. The Lemon Law program provides important information to consumers regarding their rights and remedies under the Lemon Law and the Lemon Law arbitration process. The Lemon Law program also provides consumer and industry education and enforcement regarding manufacturer and dealer obligations under the law. 
 
 The division also administers the Manufactured/Mobile Home Dispute Resolution Program (MHDRP). The MHDRP facilitates dispute resolution between manufactured/mobile home landlords and tenants in situations where the tenant owns the home but rents a space from the landlord. The MHDRP is authorized to investigate, issue findings and impose fines if there has been a violation of the law. The MHDRP produces and distributes educational materials regarding the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act (MHLTA). 
 
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 Consumer Resource Center: The Consumer Resource Center processes thousands of consumer complaints and thousands of consumer telephone calls every year. As a result of the informal complaint resolution of the 25,000 written consumer complaints, the CRCs help return more than $4 million to the consumers of the state each year. 
 
 Lemon Law Program: The Lemon Law Program separately handles thousands of additional telephone inquiries and handles more than 100 arbitration requests each year. The Lemon Law program has helped return millions of dollars to consumers. 
 
 Manufactured/Mobile Home Dispute Resolution Program: The Manufactured/Mobile Home Dispute Resolution Program (MHDRP) enforces the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord Tenant Act. The MHDRP engages landlords and tenants in facilitated negotiation to resolve disputes. In situations when the parties cannot reach a lawful resolution to the issue, the MHDRP is authorized to investigate, issue findings and impose fines on landlords or tenants who violate the law. 
 
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– Washington state is suing Motel 6 for selling out its guests, accusing the budget motel chain of voluntarily giving ICE officials daily lists with guests' driver's license numbers, DOBs, and room numbers, reports KIRO 7. "The scale of what Motel 6 was doing is deeply disturbing to me," says state AG Bob Ferguson, per the Wall Street Journal. Ferguson says Motel 6 flouted the state's Consumer Protection Act more than 9,000 times at at least six hotels over more than two years, and ICE agents would scour the lists for "Latino-sounding names," among others, per a release. Ferguson notes Motel 6, which says at least six people were detained, even trained new hires on giving data to ICE. The complaint, which seeks $2,000 per violation, is just one step the state has taken against President Trump's immigration crackdown, with other suits already filed on DACA and deportations. A spokeswoman from ICE, which wasn't listed as a defendant in the suit, noted to the Journal that "viable enforcement tips" were received "from a host of sources" on "highly dangerous illegal enterprises" she says take place at hotels and motels; she didn't name Motel 6 itself. The company, however, has conceded it gave away guest information, issuing a statement last year saying it happened "at the local level without the knowledge of senior management." Ferguson rebuts that, noting the chain has done the same in Arizona. The company says it's now revamping its guidelines and will instruct all of its 1,400-plus locations not to hand over guest info without legal papers. "A guest's activities in their property, particularly their hotel room, is expected to be kept private," a hospitality law attorney tells the Journal. "That's one of the basic understandings."