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The Homewood Suites Phoenix-Scottsdale located in Scottsdale, Arizona ceased operations under the Homewood Suites by Hilton brand as of December 31, 2020. Any use of the property since this time is not affiliated with Hilton or any of its brands.
Hilton maintains that the hotels in our network should be places of hospitality. Our policy has always been that hotels should not be used for reasons other than their intended purpose. We remain committed to providing a safe, secure and clean environment for all of our guests.
Woodbridge Hospitality has filed for bankruptcy, and since May 2020, has defaulted on mortgage payments. According to reporting from May 2021, the group has been trying to close a sale of the property with a company that wanted to convert it into an apartment complex. Woodbridge’s lawyers said in court that they expect the sale to be finalized by September.
An ICE spokesperson gave us the following statement:
The families that come into ICE custody will be housed in a manner consistent with legal requirements for the safety and well-being of children and their parents or guardians. Custody is intended to be short term, generally less than 72 hours, to allow for immigration enforcement processing and establishing appropriate terms and conditions of release while their immigration proceedings continue. All families will be tested for COVID-19 and receive a health assessment.
The contract with Endeavors uses around $86.9 million in funds, provides support through Sept. 30, and provides 1,239 beds for emergency temporary shelter and other basic needs in facilities across the southwest border for families seeking asylum. It is not clear how much of these funds are going to the facility in Scottsdale. While ICE reportedly will provide access to medical and mental healthcare, cleaning facilities, hygiene kits, clothing, meals, and individual rooms to allow for social distancing, this has not been independently verified.
Traci Gomez, Chief Development and Communications Officer at Endeavors told us that they had been working with the US government to provide assistance after a rapid influx of migrants at the southern border earlier this year. Gomez added that they had experience with “safely operating shelters in a hotel setting in the COVID environment.”