Hiring managers at hotels across the U.S. are ordering more background checks than usual amid a flurry of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids around the country, Reuters reported.
According to the latest data from Hireology, a human resources and recruitment management company that tracks hiring and employment trends across hundreds of U.S. hotels, hotel hiring managers requested 36 percent more background checks from January to June 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.
The spike coincides with President Donald Trump taking office earlier this year. In his second term, Trump has sought to deport millions of undocumented people from the U.S.
What’s more, the data comes just one month after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security cleared the way for ICE to conduct raids at farms, hotels and restaurants. The shift could result in even more pressure on managers to order background checks.
This is an industry already reeling from staffing shortages and heavily dependent on foreign-born workers.
The U.S. Travel Association says that at least one-third of workers employed or supported by the U.S. travel industry are immigrants. Citing 2023 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Tourism Economics, Reuters notes that roughly one-third (34 percent) of housekeepers and one-quarter (24 percent) of cooks are foreign-born.
Post-pandemic hotel staffing continues to be a significant concern within the hospitality industry, so the current climate is undoubtedly a major obstacle for an industry still seeking to fully bounce back.
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