Motel 6 has reported undocumented guests to US authorities, chain confirms

Practice by one of country’s largest hotel chains has led to detentions and deportations, lawyers say, as company claims policy was local to Arizona

Motel 6, one of the largest hotel chains in North America, confirmed that it was previously sending daily guest lists to US immigration officials, a practice that attorneys say has resulted in the detention and deportation of undocumented residents.

The extraordinary admission from Motel 6, which claimed that the policy was put in place locally in Arizona and has since been discontinued, has drawn widespread condemnation from civil liberties groups and has raised broader concerns about the way US corporations cooperate with law enforcement.