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Minneapolis City Council set to deny Graduate Hotel GM a seat on city board

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Published  February 17, 2026 3:02pm CST
Minneapolis City Council
FOX 9
Minneapolis council debates seat for Graduate Hotel GM

Minneapolis council debates seat for Graduate Hotel GM

The Minneapolis City Council Committee of the Whole voted against recommending the Graduate Hotel general manager for a seat on an advisory board.

The Brief

    • The Minneapolis City Council is likely to deny the appointment of the Graduate Hotel's general manager to a city advisory board.
    • Council Member Robin Wonsley expressed concerns over the hotel's reported housing of ICE officers and response to protests in recent weeks.
    • The council's Committee of the Whole voted against recommending the appointment on Tuesday.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minneapolis City Council is poised to deny the general manager of the Graduate Hotel a seat on a city advisory board due to the hotel's rooming of ICE officers.

Committee recommends against appointment

What we know:

The Minneapolis Committee of the Whole voted Tuesday to recommend against appointing Michael Berk to a seat on the Stadium Village Special Service District Advisory Board.

The appointment was on the committee's consent agenda but was pulled at the request of Council Member Robin Wonsley, who later raised issues with Berk's employment as general manager of the Graduate by Hilton Hotel in Dinkytown.

The backstory:

The Graduate Hotel has been the site of frequent protests over ICE officers that were staying at the hotel. Earlier this month, 12 protesters were arrested during a late-night protest outside the hotel.

Council member speaks out against appointment

What they're saying:

"I am incredibly concerned at the way the Graduate Hotel has conducted itself in relation to the community concerns about them allegedly housing ICE agents," said Wonsley. "These concerns come from workers at the hotels, alumni who often stay there when they are in town, to even students who live in the area who feel unsafe knowing that federal agents who have no regard for the law or life could be living right in their community. The Graduate has had the opportunity to be responsive to these concerns by publicly committing to not house ICE agents. Instead, they responded by criminalizing protesters, leading to dozens of avoidable arrests, including many undergraduate students who were nonviolently protesting."

By the numbers:

THe Council voted 8-4, with Jameson Whiting abstaining, to recommend against the appointment of Berk.

What's next:

The appointment will still need to go up for a vote by the full city council.

Minneapolis City CouncilMinneapolis