A Bloomington, Minnesota hotel acted swiftly after a disturbing breach of privacy. An employee, entrusted with guest security, deliberately leaked sensitive information about federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who were checking into the property.
The compromised data included names, email addresses, and even surveillance photographs of the agents. This information was then posted to an online forum dedicated to monitoring ICE activity, a space known as “ICE WATCH MN” on Reddit.
Hotel management immediately launched an investigation upon discovering the leak. They quickly identified the employee responsible for capturing and disseminating the images, and terminated their employment without hesitation.
The fallout extended beyond the immediate privacy violation. ICE officials released a statement emphasizing the grave danger such actions create, particularly given a dramatic surge in threats against their personnel.
The agency reported a staggering 1,300% increase in assaults, a 3,200% rise in vehicle attacks, and an alarming 8,000% increase in death threats directed at ICE officers and their families. Doxing, they stressed, directly exacerbates these risks.
This incident unfolded against a backdrop of heightened tensions in the region. Bloomington is located just ten miles from Minneapolis, where the federal government had recently increased the presence of ICE agents.
Just days before the doxing incident, Minneapolis witnessed a tragic event: a woman was fatally shot after attempting to deliberately strike an ICE agent with her vehicle. Authorities classified this act as domestic terrorism.
Ironically, in a disturbing parallel, the ICE agent involved in that shooting was themselves subjected to doxing by media outlets, revealing their identity to the public. This created a dangerous cycle of exposure and potential harm.
The hotel’s decisive action in firing the employee underscores the seriousness of protecting guest privacy, especially in an environment where law enforcement officials face escalating threats and targeted attacks.
