Senior Fox News Analyst Left Unimpressed With Hilton Statement on ICE Officials
Sean James
Mon, January 5, 2026 at 5:55 PM EST
3 min read
Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume was unmoved by Hilton’s statement that its hotels are “welcoming places for all” after one of its Minnesota properties canceled reservations for ICE and DHS agents.
“Hilton will have to do more than this to keep this episode from being a public relations disaster for the company and its brands,” Hume posted on X on Monday.
His analysis was in response to Fox News reporter Bill Melugin sharing the hotel chain’s statement on the controversy. Hilton said the hotel that canceled the ICE reservations is “independently owned and operated” and that the move did not reflect the company’s values.
“We are investigating this matter with this individual hotel, and can confirm that Hilton works with governments, law enforcement, and community leaders around the world to ensure our properties are open and inviting to everyone,” the statement added.
Hume believed that was not enough to save Hilton from dealing with customer fallout. Hilton’s stock price dropped 2.5% on Monday — a drop that stood out a bit more than usual because the three major indices were up.
The ordeal harkens back to the Bud Light uproar in 2023, when Anheuser-Busch’s stock price dropped more than 20% in the months after running an ad with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Earlier on Monday, the DHS blasted Hilton on X for launching a “coordinated campaign” to “REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement.” The DHS included screenshots of agents having their reservations scrapped with its post.
“We have noticed an influx of GOV reservations made today that have been for DHS, and we are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property,” the hotel email said. “if you are with DHS or immigration, let us know as we will have to cancel your reservation.”
The email added a suggestion: agents should let their coworkers know it was “not allowing” any officers to stay at the hotel.
In its response, DHS called it an “UNACCEPTABLE” decision that will “deliberately undermine and impede” law enforcement.
The canceled rooms led to swift criticism from some conservatives on X.
Hilton’s response will not be enough to stop it stock from dropping — and from the company catching more social media heat — on Tuesday, according to Hume.
The post Senior Fox News Analyst Left Unimpressed With Hilton Statement on ICE Officials first appeared on Mediaite.
View comments