US citizen traveling from Puerto Rico denied rental car he paid for

CAR. HUMBERTO MARCHAND ARRIVED AT MSP LAST TUESDAY AT 11:30 P.M., CLAIMING THAT YOU TREAT LIKE A SECOND CLASS CITIZENS UNNECESSARILY SO UNNECESSARILY BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE AND LACK OF TRAINING, MARTIN TELLS WDSU HAS VALID ID PUERTO RICAN DRIVER’S LICENSE DIDN’T STAND A CHANCE WITH HERTZ EMPLOYEES LIKE ALWAYS, MARTIN SAYS HE PREPAID FOR HIS CAR RENTAL ONLINE. YOU’RE DENYING ME BECAUSE I HAVE A DRIVER’S LICENSE, WHICH IS A WHICH IS A VALID ID? IT IS A VALID ID, IT IS A PREPAID RESERVATION. I ALREADY. YES. PLEASE CALL THE POLICE. HE SAYS HE PROVIDED BOTH HIS PUERTO RICAN DRIVER’S LICENSE AND REAL ID, BUT EMPLOYEES INSISTED HE PROVIDE HIS PASSPORT. MARTIN SAYS HE DIDN’T HAVE HIS PASSPORT BECAUSE HIS FLIGHT WAS DOMESTIC AND PUERTO RICO IS A US TERRITORY AT THAT POINT, WHEN I SAW THAT THE SUPERVISOR DIDN’T WANT TO HAVE TO DO ANYTHING WITH ME ALREADY, SHE WON NO BUSINESS WITH ME. I WAS DEFINITELY DISAPPOINTED AND FRUSTRATED. KENNER POLICE ARRIVED TO WHAT THEY SAY WAS A DISTURBANCE CALL. MARTIN SAYS HE HOPED THE OFFICER WOULD CONFIRM THAT HIS ID WAS VALID, BUT INSTEAD HE WAS STILL DENIED SERVICE AND ASKED TO LEAVE THE PREMISES, ALSO CLAIMING THE OFFICER SAID HE’D HAVE TO ALERT BORDER AUTHORITIES. THE KENNER POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY REVIEWED BODY CAM VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT AND SAYS THE OFFICER NEVER SAID BORDER PATROL ICE, IMMIGRATION OR ANYTHING OF THE NATURE AND WAS ONLY RESPONDING TO A REPORTED DISTURBANCE. HERTZ RELEASED A STATEMENT APOLOGIZING, SAYING THEY DO ACCEPT PUERTO RICAN DRIVER’S LICENSE FROM THEIR CUSTOMERS RENTING IN THE US WITHOUT REQUIRING A VALID PASSPORT. AND MARTIN SAYS HE HOPES THIS IS JUST A TEACHABLE MOMENT FOR THE BASIC KNOWLEDGE YOU SHOULD HAVE REGARDING PUERTO RICAN TRAVELERS WHO ARE ALSO AMERICAN CITIZENS, WHO ALSO PROVIDE PROPER IDENTIFICATION WHEN THEY ARE TRAVELING. AND HERTZ ALSO REFUNDED AND CREDITED MARTIN FOR HIS TROUBLES, REPORTING IN KENNER, I’M ARIEL BRUMFIEL

A large rental car company has apologized to a Puerto Rican man after denying him a car he paid for at the New Orleans International Airport. Humberto Marchand traveled to New Orleans and paid for a rental car through Hertz ahead of his trip. When he arrived, he was denied the car after the employee demanded to see a passport. Marchand is a United States citizen and did not have his passport on him because his flight was domestic; Puerto Rico is a United States territory. Marchand said the Hertz employee called the police and was advised to file a report with the Kenner Police Department by the responding officer. He says he was hoping the responding officer would confirm with the staff that his identification was valid, but instead, he says he was asked to leave the premises and, while doing so, says he overheard the officer suggest calling border authorities. In a statement, the Kenner Police Department said in part, "The body camera footage of the officer from the incident and states the officer never said Border Patrol, ICE, Immigration or anything of that nature. The officer was only there for the disturbance, Hertz employee called police to report a disturbance." According to a statement issued by Hertz, the company has since apologized to Marchand and issued him a refund. The full statement from Hertz read: "Hertz accepts Puerto Rican driver's licenses from our customers renting in the U.S. without requiring a valid passport. We sincerely regret that our policy was not followed and have apologized to Mr. Marchand and refunded his rental. We are reinforcing our policies with employees to ensure that they are understood and followed consistently across our locations."Officials at the New Orleans International Airport declined to issue a statement regarding the incident.

NEW ORLEANS —

A large rental car company has apologized to a Puerto Rican man after denying him a car he paid for at the New Orleans International Airport.

Humberto Marchand traveled to New Orleans and paid for a rental car through Hertz ahead of his trip.

When he arrived, he was denied the car after the employee demanded to see a passport.

Marchand is a United States citizen and did not have his passport on him because his flight was domestic; Puerto Rico is a United States territory.

Marchand said the Hertz employee called the police and was advised to file a report with the Kenner Police Department by the responding officer.

He says he was hoping the responding officer would confirm with the staff that his identification was valid, but instead, he says he was asked to leave the premises and, while doing so, says he overheard the officer suggest calling border authorities.

In a statement, the Kenner Police Department said in part, "The body camera footage of the officer from the incident and states the officer never said Border Patrol, ICE, Immigration or anything of that nature. The officer was only there for the disturbance, Hertz employee called police to report a disturbance."

According to a statement issued by Hertz, the company has since apologized to Marchand and issued him a refund.

The full statement from Hertz read:

"Hertz accepts Puerto Rican driver's licenses from our customers renting in the U.S. without requiring a valid passport. We sincerely regret that our policy was not followed and have apologized to Mr. Marchand and refunded his rental. We are reinforcing our policies with employees to ensure that they are understood and followed consistently across our locations."

Officials at the New Orleans International Airport declined to issue a statement regarding the incident.

US citizen traveling from Puerto Rico denied rental car he paid for

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