US hotels boost background checks as migrant scrutiny grows

Reuters

4 days ago

NEW YORK, July 21 - U.S. hotel hiring managers ordered more background checks in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024 amid growing scrutiny of foreign-born workers in the hospitality industry, according to a leading human resources and recruitment management company.
In June, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it was reversing guidance issued that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were not to conduct immigration raids at farms, hotels and restaurants. President Donald Trump has sought to end temporary legal status for hundreds of thousands of migrants in the United States and vowed to deport millions of undocumented people in the country.
Hotel hiring managers requested 36% more background checks from January to June 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, according to Hireology, which tracks hiring and employment trends across a thousand U.S. hotel properties.
"Companies are certainly far more cognizant of that than they've ever been, and they don't want to be caught up in or be accused of lax hiring practices when it comes to verification of immigration status," said Patrick Scholes, Truist hotel equity analyst.
At least one-third of workers employed or supported by the U.S. travel industry are immigrants, according to the U.S. Travel Association. In 2024, hotels directly employed more than 2.15 million people, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
Total hires across 1,000 hotels increased 22% to over 8,000 workers. Increases in the most in-demand roles such as front desk associates, housekeepers and cooks were flat or grew slightly year-over-year.
About 34% of housekeepers and 24% of cooks are foreign-born, according to 2023 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Tourism Economics.