U.S. Travel Industry Stays Silent During Immigration Crackdown
Photo Credit: Minneapolis ICE Protest 1/25/2026 Flickr Creative Commons. / Sharon Mollerus
Skift Take
As immigration enforcement puts airlines, hotels, and passenger data at the center of a national conflict, the U.S. travel industry has responded with near-total silence.
Three weeks into what federal officials describe as the largest immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history, much of the American travel industry has declined to comment publicly, even as airlines, hotels, and airports have become focal points of protest and scrutiny.
The operation in Minneapolis–St. Paul, known as Metro Surge, has sent more than 3,000 federal agents into the Twin Cities, led to two fatal shootings by federal officers, and resulted in a statewide general strike on January 23. Demonstrators have targeted airlines and hotels in particular, urging companies to refuse cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
At Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport, a major hub for Delta Air Lines, protests have been sustained. On January 23, more than 100 clergy members were arrested after blocking terminal access and calling on Delta and Signature Aviation to oppose ICE operations. Delta did not respond to a request for comment from Ski