Diddy, delay, trial, judge Prison, Sean combs
by Kandiss Edwards

January 7, 2026

Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems! Diddy’s Employees Say They Haven’t Been Paid, Allegedly

Diddy is allegedly having trouble paying his bills behind bars.

Several employees and attorneys connected to Sean “Diddy” Combs say they have not been paid while the disgraced music mogul is incarcerated. Comb’s representatives dispute the claims.

According to TMZ, employees of Combs claim payroll payments were delayed or withheld while he was in federal custody. The mounting frustration among staff has yielded at least one reported resignation. TMZ cited unnamed employees and attorneys who said a third-party business management firm is overseeing financial decisions during Diddy’s incarceration.

Tri Star Sports & Entertainment is reportedly managing Combs’s finances. Invoices for Diddy’s expenses are submitted, reviewed, and approved by Tri Star. The outlet said some payments were not approved, contributing to some employees being unpaid. Additionally, rumors claim that even Combs’s family members must submit expense requests for review by the firm.

A representative for Combs denied the claims. Juda Engelmayer says that the producer is still at the helm of his operation and all employees are being properly compensated.

“People, personnel, and attorneys are all being paid, and no one is leaving.” Engelmayer added, “Sean Combs controls his own finances. Everyone gets paid for their work once it’s completed and confirmed, after routine review.”

https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/2008683815317762411

Combs was sentenced in October 2025 to 50 months in federal prison following his conviction on two Mann Act counts related to transportation for prostitution. He was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges in the same case.

Combs began serving his sentence shortly after the verdict and remains in federal custody while several civil lawsuits against him continue to move through the courts.

No court filings or statements from federal prosecutors addressing the payroll allegations have been made public. Tri Star Sports & Entertainment did not respond to requests for comment from outlets covering the dispute. The claims regarding unpaid staff have not been independently confirmed beyond TMZ’s reporting.

RELATED CONTENT: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Takes $61.5 Million LA Mansion Off The Market

Ice-T , Law & Order: SUV
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 7, 2026

Ice-T’s NJ Dispensary ‘The Medicine Woman’ Closes Less Than A Year After Opening

The store opened in Jersey City in April 2025

After a successful grand opening in Jersey City last April, the Medicine Woman dispensary, co-owned by Newark, N.J. native Tracey “Ice-T” Marrow, has closed.

According to Northjersey.com, the “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” regular, was a partner in the business with Charis Burrett, who has a flagship location for The Medicine Woman in Bellflower, California. The Jersey City location was being planned for three years after New Jersey changed its laws to allow marijuana to be sold legally in the state.

No reason was given for the closure, but it follows a pattern of celebrities who own dispensaries going out of business quickly.

The news comes after Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon had to cease operations at his Newark store, Hashstoria, in 2025, after it had been open for less than a year. When Hashtoria was in its planning stages, it promised to be an adult-use cannabis retail space, with plans to expand into a larger community hub. They wanted to expand the venue into a premier consumption lounge and a wellness center to improve the community’s health, education, and empowerment.

The Medicine Woman was not situated in a great location, as it sat along the side of the Route 1 and 9 highway on Tonelle Ave. HeadyNJ reported that there are additional dispensaries along the same route, including Green Stop Wellness and Kush Klub, which appeared before them.

The closing of The Medicine Woman gave Ice-T a little more room to pursue other entrepreneurial ventures, as he recently mentioned he would not be seen as often this season of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” He has been on the television show for over 20 years and is not at risk of losing his position.

In a sitdown with TMZ, the “New Jack City” actor said his reduced time was strictly for business reasons. The show’s executives wanted to bring back an old character, Amanda Rollins (played by Kelli Giddish), who had been on the show for over 10 years. She was written off three years ago but returned this season. It came down to budget: keeping Giddish on regularly and moving Ice-T to part-time for the season.

He stated that he didn’t mind, as it gave him a chance to pursue other opportunities when he was not working on the show. Now, he may have extra time to find his next business venture.

RELATED CONTENT: Ice-T, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Arabian Prince Prep Release Of Animated Series, ‘Tehk City’

Freed, Philadelphia, handcuffs
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

January 7, 2026

Detroit Man Given $1M After 25 Years For Wrongful Conviction Must Return Money

The man must return the money after receiving a settlement over the same crime in a civil suit.

An exonerated man who was jailed for 25 years in a Michigan prison may repay the $1 million given to him for the wrongful conviction.

Desmond Ricks spent a quarter-century in prison for the 1993 murder of Gerry Bennett, for which he was later absolved. Upon his exoneration, Ricks was offered more than $1 million under Michigan’s Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Act, which was initially passed in 2017.

According to Yahoo Finance, he received around $50,000 for each year spent incarcerated. The monetary allotment sought to recognize the toll of the wrongful conviction. However, it still does not compare to the years lost behind bars. His lawyer, Wolf Muller, emphasized the suffering his client endured while in prison, stating that the compensation could never fully heal the trauma.

Desmond Ricks endured the worst harm and suffering you can imagine,” his lawyer, Wolf Muller, told WXYZ Detroit. “25 years in a cage for a crime he didn’t commit. The compensation under the state, a million and a quarter, doesn’t come close to the harm he suffered.”

However, Ricks has now been ordered to return the money in a new court ruling regarding the damages he received in a civil suit. The Michigan Court of Appeals made the ruling after Ricks received a payout from a separate case regarding the murder.

Ricks won a $7.5 million settlement with the City of Detroit over alleged police misconduct in the murder investigation. He claimed that Detroit officers switched bullet evidence in an effort to frame him for the killing. New evidence unveiled by the Innocence Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School reopened the case in 2016.

Ricks’ second chance at freedom came after the discovery that bullets recovered from Bennett did not match the gun prosecutors claimed as the murder weapon. He subsequently became eligible for pay due to the Compensation Act. However, the law also stipulates that exonerees must pay back the money if they receive damages from a third party.

Deemed a clawback, this process is typically used outside criminal justice cases. However, the process is currently being applied to Rick’s situation. Given this, he cannot receive funds from both a civil settlement and a state payout. Some state lawmakers say the clawback provision is intended to ensure the fund has enough to cover compensation for all exonerees.

On the other hand, criminal justice advocates say this provision undermines the real financial difficulties faced by those recovering from wrongful convictions. Furthermore, conflating state compensation with private settlements further demeans what the unjust prison sentences have done to innocent lives.

Although Ricks actually obtained funding from the Compensation Act, payouts remain relatively scarce for exonorees. Despite most states allowing compensation for overturned convictions, less than half of these victims, 42% according to data from the Death Penalty Information Center, see any money. These factors even bleed into racial disparities within the criminal justice system. The Center confirmed 60% of all exonerees also identify as black.

RELATED CONTENT: Georgia Among States With No Laws To Compensate Wrongfully Convicted Persons

Dallas, Black dancers, union
by Ahsan Washington

January 7, 2026

Black Fitness Influencers Who Will Whip You Into Shape For 2026

These fitness influencers don't just give you a sweat

Black fitness influencers are transforming the online health and wellness landscape. They’re discussing everything from workouts to self-care. These experts are true to themselves and bring their culture of well-being to the table so that others might benefit. These fitness influencers don’t just give you a sweat; they also motivate you to keep up achieving your fitness goals, believing in yourself, and finding balance that works toward success. Take these eight fitness influencers, for example: each represents the crème de la crème of online fitness from trainers to coaches who are doing their thing.

Keaira LaShae

Keaira LaShae is a singer, dancer, and now a trainer. She co-founded the platform If You Can MOVE. LaShae has been making dance fitness videos for over 10 years. Social media followers love her content on YouTube and her own app. LaShae is all about helping to get folks moving with workout routines that range from dance-based to high-intensity interval training to kickboxing and mobility exercises. LaShae makes working out feel like a party. The choreographed routines are easy to follow and make you want to keep coming for more. Check her out if you’re looking for a way to make fitness feel less like a chore.

Shaun T

Shaun T is a big deal in the fitness industry and the trainer behind popular programs like Hip-Hop Abs. Since 2009, Shaun T has been a household name that everyone knows. After 16 years, Shaun T remains active and passionate about helping his audience get into shape. He’s all about pushing clients to their limits with cardio, strength training, and drills that parallel athlete workouts. If you want a workout that’s going to challenge you and get results, follow Shaun T. His energy is infectious, and his programs work.

Brittne “Brittne Babe” Jackson

Brittne “Brittne Babe” Jackson is a known name in the fitness world. Jackson has been around for a while, churning out home workout challenges and programs that focus on glutes and legs. Brittne Babe started posting workouts in the early 2010s. What sets Brittne Babe apart is her ability to craft workouts viewers can do from home without needing a ton of equipment. The trainer is about getting the best return on your workout. Followers rave about Jackson’s sessions that can be done anywhere, anytime.

Jessamyn Stanley

Jessamyn Stanley is a yoga teacher who advocates for body positivity. She co-founded The Underbelly, a streaming yoga platform that is inclusive of all body types. Stanley has been spreading the word about yoga since the mid-2010s. Her approach to yoga is about making it accessible to everyone, regardless of their shape or size. She’s big on self-acceptance, which is refreshing. For those looking for a yoga instructor who will meet you where you are without judgment, Jessamyn is the person. Plus, The Underbelly classes are on demand, so you can follow along whenever you want.

Koya Webb

Koya Webb is a yoga teacher, author, and the founder of Get Loved Up, a mindfulness community focused on nurturing the mind, body, and soul. For over 10 years, Webb has been sharing her passion with others through teachings and retreats. Webb blends yoga, breathing exercises, healthy eating, and living a rounded life to create optimum health and fitness outcomes. Her style is soothing and pushes trainees to grow.

Simeon Panda

Simeon Panda, a globally recognized physique athlete and strength coach, has been building his following since the early 2010s on social media. Panda’s expertise lies in hypertrophy and strength, particularly in the “classic bodybuilding” approach. Panda is a fitness influencer who offers form tutorials and comprehensive programs to help followers achieve their fitness goals. A no-nonsense approach to lifting guidance and an emphasis on long-term consistency make Panda a popular choice for those seeking to improve their physique.

Jeanette Jenkins

Jeanette Jenkins is a recognized name in the fitness influencer world. Jenkins has been active for over three decades. As the founder of The Hollywood Trainer Club, Jenkins made a name for herself by offering gym sessions that cater to all kinds of workouts. Want to try HIIT, Pilates, or yoga? Jenkins has you covered. The website features a collection of over 1,200 videos with coaching that’s easy to follow, no matter what your fitness level. Jenkins is a great resource for people who genuinely want to get in shape, and she has been around long enough to know what works.

Massy Arias

Massy Arias is a Dominican-American health coach and trainer who made a name for herself through her approach to fitness influence. Arias creates programs that focus on mobility, which is a unique approach. What sets her apart, though, is the community she’s built, The MA Warriors. The health coach has been active online since around the mid-2010s, and by 2019, she had gained a following of around two million people. Arias is an expert in strength, mobility, postpartum fitness, and even community challenges. Those who follow her guidance can expect an approach to working out that focuses on form. Followers gain access to a community and educational resources that are accessible. Her programs are designed to deliver results and are focused on being achievable and sustainable.

RELATED CONTENT: Black-Owned Fitness Centers That Are Serving The Community 

daycare, Lil Wills Family Childcare Center, Tammi Cooper, childcare
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 7, 2026

Black-Owned Charlotte Daycare Goes Viral For ‘Highly-Rated’ In-Home Childcare Experience

A Charlotte, North Carolina, childcare center has gone viral after a TikTok tour showcased its thoughtfully designed in-home daycare experience.

A Black-owned childcare center in Charlotte, North Carolina, is winning hearts online thanks to its thoughtfully designed, in-home daycare experience created specifically for its little learners.

Whitney, the owner’s daughter, helped the family daycare go viral after sharing a TikTok tour of her mom, Tammi Cooper, and her growing Lil Wills Family Childcare Center. In the three-minute video, viewers get a look inside the intentionally designed spaces Cooper created in her home for the children, which Whitney describes as one of Charlotte’s “highly rated” in-home daycares.

“This is Miss Tammi, and I’m not biased or anything, but you won’t find another provider more passionate than this woman right here,” Whitney says at the start of the video.

@the_whitneyc They did a phenomenal job getting this together! She will be helping me revamp this Summer #childcare #inhomedaycare #charlottenc #daycare #daycareprovider ♬ MINI VLOG. – ALOHI STYLE

The video then showcases the daycare’s welcoming foyer, complete with a shoe drop, sign-in station, birthday board, and parent information wall. From there, viewers are taken into the Gross Motor Room—a dedicated free-play space that Whitney says is perfect for rainy days.

“There’s a lot for the kids to do, as you can see,” Whitney explains. “She got this cute little claw machine. She says she’s going to use it as like a fun Friday treat. Probably put some suckers in there. Listen, there is no sad beige in this daycare.”

The video also highlights the thoughtful touches Cooper added to make the daycare extra special, including cubbies for extra clothes, musical stepping stones for arrivals, and a small bookshelf with movable seating pads where kids can sit and rest their feet.

Whitney was especially excited to show off the daycare’s newest feature, the Pig Pen Diner—a play kitchen Cooper designed so kids can create their own menus for pretend customers.

“It is so nice. Look at the little fake windows,” Whitney says. “All the kids will have little uniforms when they come over here in this area. There’s like a little hours of operation with the clock. You got fresh fruit and vegetables available. And then there’s some seating. So, so cute. This is her quote-unquote employee wall. And the kids have little jobs at the restaurant.”

Other clips highlight the thoughtful design Cooper added to the bathroom, house stairs, and learning area—which even features a tank of hermit crabs named after Tammi and her husband.

“Miss Tammi was very intentional about everything in here,” Whitney shared.

With a look at the thoughtful design and layout, it’s no surprise enrollment at Lil Wills is full, leaving parents to join a waiting list for a chance to secure a spot for their child. Many who watched the TikTok tour sang the daycare’s praises, with a few playful jokes thrown in.

“Does she accept adults?” one user jokingly asked.

Lil Wills Family Childcare is planning to expand into a larger, full-service facility to welcome more children and help the family-run operation grow. In a SpotFund campaign seeking $100,000 to “Help Lil Wills Grow,” Whitney shared her mom’s lifelong passion for childcare, which began in 1986 when she was 18 and pregnant with Whitney. Over the years, that passion continued to inspire her children, daughter Whitney and son Richard, who joined the family business as an in-home daycare owner and daycare chef.

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Sesame Place, lawsuit, Indianapolis
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 7, 2026

Ex-NJ Cop Sues City Over Claims Of Reverse Racism Following Excessive Force Indictment

Spencer Finch also has another case that has yet to go to trial.

A former Paterson, New Jersey, police officer has filed a major lawsuit against the city and local officials, arguing he was wrongfully fired over excessive-force charges he was later acquitted of, while another case against him is still pending.

Spencer Finch, 44, filed a federal lawsuit on Dec. 22 against the City of Paterson, Mayor Andre Sayegh, the police department, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and several current and former law enforcement officials, NJ.com reports.

In the complaint, Finch claims reverse discrimination, civil rights violations, and malicious prosecution, arguing he never should have been charged after being indicted and later acquitted on excessive-force counts, only to be indicted again on the aforementioned separate charges.

The lawsuit stems from Finch’s 2021 criminal case, the first in Paterson built largely on police body-camera footage. Video showed Finch, a white officer, repeatedly hitting a Black man, Brandon Cosby, with a flashlight in an apartment hallway and kneeing him in the face while he was handcuffed.

Prosecutors said Finch used excessive force after responding to a domestic dispute. Finch claimed Cosby was trying to break down his ex-girlfriend’s door, resisted arrest, and attacked him. Finch added that his partner failed to help.

Finch was fired from the Paterson Police Department later that year by the mayor, even though a jury acquitted him of related charges in December 2023. He still faces a separate case tied to a 2018 incident in which prosecutors say he used excessive force during a robbery investigation at a deli. Finch was indicted on official misconduct in January 2023. That case has not yet gone to trial.

Now, Finch is suing on claims that prosecutors misused New Jersey’s Bail Reform Act to keep him jailed for a week. He also accuses Sayegh of politicizing the case, which violated his civil rights, during the 2022 mayoral race. The lawsuit also calls out former Paterson police Lt. Louis Spagnola, now head of the department’s wellness unit, who allegedly worked with prosecutors to improperly sway the investigation and get officials to give false testimony at Finch’s first trial.

Finch alleges multiple constitutional violations, as well as malicious prosecution, false arrest, false imprisonment, abuse of process, destruction of evidence, civil conspiracy, and emotional distress. He seeks compensatory and punitive damages, lost wages and benefits, attorney’s fees, and damages for physical and psychological harm.

RELATED CONTENT: Emmett Till Center Buys Barn Where Lynching Took Place For $1.5 Million

will.i.am, work-life balance
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 7, 2026

Will.I.Am Introduces AI-Powered Electric Vehicle

'TRINITY is a next‑gen micromobility platform that aligns Human, Vehicle, and Agent, using NVIDIA as its AI brain to run conversational, goal‑tracking workflows for more of a connected urban experience.'

When Black Eyed Peas member and frontman, Will.i.am, is not in the studio, he is at his “day job” as a tech entrepreneur. At the recent CES (Consumer Electronics Show) trade show, he revealed, one of his projects, TRINITY, an electric car powered by artificial intelligence.

According to Complex, the “Scream & Shout” recording artist showcased “the future of micromobility,” powered by NVIDIA DGX Spark technology.

Only 500 units are planned to be initially offered. The vehicle is expected to debut in August 2027.

“TRINITY is a next‑gen micromobility platform that aligns Human, Vehicle, and Agent, using NVIDIA as its AI brain to run conversational, goal‑tracking workflows for more of a connected urban experience,” will.i.am said in a written statement to the media outlet. “It’s brains on wheels, built from the agent up.”

A Kickstarter campaign was launched Jan. 6 to encourage individuals to invest in the project and be involved in a pre-order interest program. The TRINITY 3-wheel electric vehicle will have a top speed of 120 mph and a weatherproof cabin with a luxury interior. People can expect studio-level audio.

“TRINITY represents the future of micromobility—where humans, vehicles, and AI agents work together seamlessly. With NVIDIA DGX Spark as its AI brain, TRINITY delivers conversational, goal-tracking workflows that transform how people interact with mobility in connected cities.”

The electric vehicle, expected to cost consumers under $30,000, is anticipated to be manufactured and headquartered in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles, with West Coast Customs and DEKA Research and Development being involved in key elements of the single-passenger vehicle.

The vehicle, still in the concept phase, will accommodate only one passenger.

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true stories, podcast, Kiese Laymon, Deesha Philyaw, Podcast, Reparations, NYC, Reparations
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 7, 2026

Corporation For Public Broadcasting To Shut Down After Congress Pulled NPR And PBS Funding

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has announced it will dissolve following the Trump administration's cut to over $1 billion in funding.

After more than half a century of operation, board members for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced it will dissolve, following Congress’s decision to cut federal funding for NPR and PBS. The nonprofit, created by Congress in 1967, announced the organization’s end on Jan. 5, blaming the move on federal budget cuts pushed by the Trump administration, the Detroit Free Press reports.

“What has happened to public media is devastating,” said Ruby Calvert, chair of CPB’s Board of Directors. “After nearly six decades of innovative, educational public television and radio service, Congress eliminated all funding for CPB, leaving the Board with no way to continue the organization or support the public media system that depends on it. Yet, even in this moment, I am convinced that public media will survive, and that a new Congress will address public media’s role in our country because it is critical to our children’s education, our history, culture, and democracy to do so.”

The announcement comes months after Congress voted in July to slash $1.1 billion in funding for public broadcasting over the next two years, a move that led CPB to announce an “orderly wind-down” of its operations the following month. With no future funding and ongoing “attacks” from the Trump administration, the board saw dissolution as the only viable option.

“For more than half a century, CPB existed to ensure that all Americans — regardless of geography, income, or background — had access to trusted news, educational programming, and local storytelling,” CPB CEO and President Patricia Harrison said in a statement.

“When the Administration and Congress rescinded federal funding, our Board faced a profound responsibility: CPB’s final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving, rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks,” Harrison said.

Congress created the nonprofit under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, paving the way for CPB to build a nationwide network of more than 1,500 local public radio and TV stations. CPB helped bring iconic shows like PBS’s Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood to air.

But Trump’s return to office has seen CPB-funded outlets like NPR and PBS face heightened scrutiny over alleged bias and promoting liberal agendas. In March 2025, NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS CEO Paula Kerger defended their organizations before Congress, fielding tough questions from Republicans.

With CPB’s dissolution, PBS and NPR will continue operating, but now confront a major funding shortfall. The nonprofit’s shutdown leaves public media to rely on state budgets, donations, and corporate underwriting to survive.

Back in August, CPB announced that it would close following the funding cuts. The “orderly closure” includes distributing the remaining funds and supporting the American Archive of Public Broadcasting to preserve historic content, as well as partnering with the University of Maryland to maintain its archives, which will be made publicly accessible.

RELATED CONTENT: BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA ASKS SUPPORTERS TO ‘TAKE A STAND’ ON GIVING TUESDAY AMID FUNDING LOSS

Pastor Jamal Bryant, Black Friday, Black Business Maket
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

January 7, 2026

Pastor Jamal Bryant Jokingly Claps Back At Wife’s Ongoing Dress Controversy

Pastor Jamal Bryant wants naysayers to focus on bigger battles within the church community.

Pastor Jamal Bryant, the lead pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, is letting the saints have it over their opinions regarding his wife’s now-infamous formal dress.

The couple sparked controversy when Karri Turner Bryant wore a black and flesh-colored gown worn at the UNCF Atlanta Mayor’s Ball in December. Bryant decided to take a lighthearted approach to the conversation on church respectability politics, posting a photoshopped version of their outfits from the evening, including Turner in “church-approved” dress.

“Saints, y’all win… come on @mzkarribaby we now are church approved! Thanks to our new stylist @mannie_35 … Let God ARISE. Happy New Year, everybody. Let’s move forward with the whole armor of God. The kingdom has bigger fish to fry,” captioned the Pastor.

Bryant also aimed to let the conversation die down, emphasizing that the community has bigger issues to address. At his New Year’s Eve service, he called out the “false barometer of holiness” that people have placed on his partner.

But the continued chatter prompted Bryant to make another comment, albeit with more humor, to finally close the chapter.

Others weren’t quite ready to do that. Another clergy critic had harsher words for the pastor’s wife and her choice of attire. COGIC Pastor Bishop Patrick Wooden condemned the outfit, saying Turner looked like a “$2 whore” in the gown.

“And there is nothing classy about that. There’s nothing modest about that,” shared Wooden of Bryant’s defense of the outfit.

Bryant has yet to address Wooden and his remarks directly,.

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ICE, Hampton Inn, federal contract, DEI
by Kandiss Edwards

January 7, 2026

Minnesota Hampton Inn Turns Away Ice Agents And Loses Federal Contract

Hilton, backed ICE, saying its hotels are a "welcoming place for all."

The U.S. General Services Administration has removed a Hampton Inn by Hilton in Lakeville, Minnesota, from its list of approved federal lodging programs.

The move came after the Hampton Inn refused to lodge Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Jan. 5. Administrator of the General Services Administration, Ed Frost, said after the refusal that he investigated the Hilton’s compliance with the GSA FedRooms program and found the establishment lacking.

Frost detailed his findings in an X post. 

“After I was informed that a local Hilton property canceled rooms reserved for @DHSgov ICE, @USGSA immediately reviewed the matter and found the hotel to be in clear violation of its government lodging program requirements. The property has been removed from the programs and booking tools effective immediately. GSA unequivocally supports our federal law enforcement partners.”

The removal means the Minnesota hotel is no longer used in the GSA FedRooms program, which provides discounted accommodations for federal employees and contractors. GSA officials said the decision to refuse service was based on violations of program requirements. 

DHS publicly shared screenshots on social media of what it said were emails from the hotel indicating it would not house “any ICE or immigration agents.”

The DHS did not specify which person in the organization sent the letter. In one message shared by DHS, the sender wrote that reservations for agents would be canceled due to an influx of government bookings.

The agency accused the hotel and its employees of supporting “rapists” and “murderers” because of the refusal. 

“This is UNACCEPTABLE. Why is Hilton Hotels siding with murderers and rapists to deliberately undermine and impede DHS law enforcement from their mission to enforce our nation’s immigration laws?”

In a statement on X, Hilton Worldwide Holdings said the Lakeville property is independently owned and operated, and that actions did not reflect corporate values. The company reaffirmed its policy of welcoming all guests and emphasized that it does not tolerate discrimination.

Additionally, Hilton said it has removed that Minnesota Hampton Inn from its systems.

RELATED CONTENT: Trump Administration Quietly Bans Department Of Veteran Affairs From Performing Abortions, Counseling 

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