No Sleep for ICE: Protests outside hotels housing immigration agents expand nationwide

Protests targeting hotels where immigration agents are staying have expanded from California to a nationwide network, part of a coordinated effort to disrupt enforcement operations and pressure the hospitality industry to refuse lodging for federal agents. The protest movement known as "No Sleep for ICE" began in Los Angeles in early June and has since spread to cities across the country. In Edina, Minnesota, on Dec. 11 at 7 p.m., about 150 people gathered outside the Homewood Suites by Hilton to oppose the hotel for reportedly hosting ICE agents, with a smaller crowd turning out the following night.

Organizers say the tactic has two aims: to pressure hotels to refuse housing for ICE personnel and to slow agents' ability to operate. "If people staying at these hotels experience the anger and frustration of our community, maybe they can empathize and support impacted communities," Megan Newcomb said.

The protests began in early June in California, targeting hotels such as Cambria in Burbank, the DoubleTree in Montebello, and others in Pasadena, Whittier, Glendale, Arcadia, Downey, Long Beach, and Hacienda Heights. A sleepless night for both the agents and protesters typically began around 9 or 10 p.m. and concluded in the early morning. Sophia Aguilar, a 24-year-old Latina from Northeast Los Angeles, has been protesting since ICE agents arrived in the city in June. "I couldn't sit by and not do anything," she said. "When they arrived to Los Angeles in June, my boyfriend and I protested for one month straight. We went to multiple different protests all around Los Angeles County." She described leading chants outside the Westin Pasadena on June 16.

By December, the tactic had spread nationwide. In Chicago suburbs, protesters began targeting hotels where federal immigration agents were staying, and in Downers Grove a few hundred demonstrated outside a hotel after spotting DHS vehicles in the parking lot. Smaller protests followed outside a nearby Hampton Inn and at an ICE processing center in Broadview. By Sept. 23, over 100 protesters gathered outside the Hyatt Place in Medford, Massachusetts, to intensify demonstrations against ICE agents tied to detentions in nearby Somerville, including the 45-day detention of Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk. Participants — including union members, immigrant-rights organizers, local residents, families, and children — said the action was inspired by similar protests in Chicago and Detroit and aimed to show solidarity with immigrant communities while pressuring businesses not to cooperate with federal enforcement.

The Hilton Charlotte University Place in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Nov. 19 was swarmed by protesters after residents said they saw U.S. Border Patrol agents coming and going from the hotel during a federal immigration sweep that has led to more than 250 arrests. Demonstrators said they were there to show solidarity with immigrant families and to pressure hotels not to house federal agents involved in the crackdown. Hilton said the property is independently owned and operated and declined further comment. Demonstrations have continued steadily into the winter months. More than 100 residents in Waldport, Oregon, packed a City Council meeting on Dec. 10 after officials confirmed that ICE had contacted the Alsi Resort to inquire about renting hotel rooms, prompting fears the agency was seeking lodging tied to a possible detention facility elsewhere in Lincoln County.

Arrests at the protests have been rare, and legal consequences have generally been limited. In Long Beach, California, two women were arrested during a protest outside a Holiday Inn where ICE agents were believed to be staying. They were charged with violating local noise rules, but the city prosecutor later declined to pursue charges due to insufficient evidence about who was making the noise.

What has the Trump Administration said? Although the president has defended the broader immigration crackdown, including operations in Chicago and elsewhere, the Department of Homeland Security did not comment in response to TIME’s request. In some instances federal officials have suggested protests outside hotels could interfere with law enforcement operations. After demonstrations spread in Los Angeles County, internal guidance circulated among military and law enforcement advising personnel to avoid certain hotels, citing reports of harassment of ICE and CBP personnel, according to documents and reporting by TIME and corroborating outlets. Administration officials have not indicated plans to halt using hotels, but have warned that protests targeting federal agents could face law enforcement response if they cross legal boundaries.

The protests reflect a broader political debate around immigration enforcement and sanctuary policies. Supporters say the actions draw attention to the human impact of removals and detentions and press employers to avoid complicity in enforcement. Opponents argue that protests outside hotels risk disrupting other guests and could interfere with legitimate operations. The movement continues to evolve as organizers verify targets and coordinate actions across time zones and jurisdictions.