A federal judge has signaled he’ll give the initial go-ahead on a reworked multimillion-dollar lawsuit settlement between a Latino civil rights group and Motel 6, but first the sides have to clarify parts of their deal.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed a class-action lawsuit against Motel 6 in 2018 for allegedly sharing guest information with immigration authorities.
The sides left a Friday afternoon court hearing with a road map for carrying out the revamped settlement.
One big task is finding former Motel 6 guests who are eligible to receive part of a $10 million settlement pot. Some people may be in other countries, said Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel of MALDEF.
“We will be working with organizations, and folks from the government -- for example, the Mexican consulates -- to reach out to folks wherever they may be,” he said.
Senior Judge David G. Campbell will weigh final approval of the settlement in February.
Lawyers for Motel 6 declined an interview.
