A wave of service refusals targeting federal law enforcement has ignited a fierce national debate. In a recent incident, a Speedway gas station manager in Minnesota refused to serve U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino. Video captured the manager following Bovino out of the store while declaring his opposition to the agency.
"Because I wanted to. I don’t support ICE and nobody here does," the manager said when asked for his reasoning. An employee was also heard on the video saying, "If it is [illegal] I personally don’t care." Speedway’s parent company, 7-Eleven, has not yet issued a formal response to the viral footage.
This incident is part of a growing trend of "private pushback" against federal immigration enforcement. A Hampton Inn in Lakeville, Minnesota, recently canceled reservations for ICE agents, telling them they were "unwelcome." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was also reportedly denied entry to a building near Chicago to use a restroom.
Hilton took drastic action against the Lakeville hotel by stripping it of its franchise and removing the brand's signage. "Hilton hotels serve as welcoming places for all," a spokesperson said, distancing the corporation from the franchisee. The General Services Administration has since removed the property from all approved federal lodging programs.
Legal experts note that while businesses have private discretion, targeting law enforcement for doing their jobs is controversial. "It’s shameful conduct to try to penalize men and women who are... seeking to enforce federal law," said Heritage Foundation fellow Zack Smith. He argued that while legal rights to refuse service exist, such actions are morally "shameful."
The Trump administration has condemned these refusals as "un-American" and "discriminatory." Officials warn that blocking federal agents from basic services like fuel or lodging undermines national security missions. Critics of the agents, however, view these refusals as a legitimate form of protest against current immigration policies.