Dallas hotel worker 'Gia' posted a video on TikTok on 8 January 2026 in an apparent attempt to alert others of the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. The video triggered a nationwide discussion concerning immigration enforcement, social media policies, free speech and public safety.
In the short TikTok video, Gia could be heard saying, 'Quite frankly, I don't really care if I lose my job, because I could get in trouble for posting this.' She continued to ask the viewers to relay the message to their families or friends who are worried about their immigration status.
Following the video post that later went viral, 'Gia' was consequently fired from her job. Gia reportedly declined from deleting the video when a manager requested she did, after which she was informed of violating the company's social media policy per Dallas News.
The report shared a statement from a Hilton Anatole spokesperson saying, 'We respect the privacy of all our guests. Our hotels are places of public accommodation and strive to always be welcoming places for all.' The Hilton also reportedly reached out to Towne Park, a third-party parking company for which Gia works, whose statement said Gia 'violated our business conduct policy and is no longer employed by our company.'
The Incident at Hilton
The TikTok post, which quickly gained traction online, showed unmarked vehicles Gia later said she believed belonged to ICE. The nursing student said in an interview with The Dallas Morning News she shared the information via her TikTok video because she was concerned that ICE agents being at the scene could lead to innocent people facing detention.
Gia was quoted saying, 'I'm not trying to be political. But our civil rights are being stripped away. They're being unraveled,' on being asked to delete the video. The video has amassed 2.6 million views on TikTok at the time of writing.
@ghostwitmillions Ice agents in downtown Dallas 1/7/26 #iceindallastexas #ice #dallastx #fyp #explorepage please tell everyone
♬ original sound - ghostwitmillions
Meanwhile, news of Gia's termination prompted a polarised reaction on the web, and thousands of social media users have weighed in on the repercussions Gia is facing for her actions. While some applauded Gia for raising awareness by sharing the warning online, others argued that her actions breached hospitality and employment practices. Some supporters are calling to boycott Hilton-branded hotels.
Public Safety & Employer Policy
This incident underscores how social media policies on workplace-related content of companies are often stringent –particularly when involving internal operations or showing guests. Although these policies are in place to protect the clients' interests and the company's name, they also create a conflict when it comes to employees' public duties and free speech.
This incident was not an isolated case involving ICE. Just days before, a Minnesota property run by Hilton was under fire after a video surfaced of the hotel denying service to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, ending in a decision by Hilton to sever its ties with the independent Minnesota hotel, per Fox Business News.
Ultimately, these events expose the rising tension between policies, digital duties, and the evolving online public engagement.
