Planners Fear Immigration Crackdowns Will Make Hotel Labor Shortages Worse: Exclusive Survey

Skift

a day ago

The hospitality industry has struggled with a labor shortage since the Covid pandemic. Now, immigration enforcement and an anti-immigrant sentiment are adding a new layer of complexity.
An exclusive Skift Meetings survey of U.S. planners shows that they expect to grapple with the effects of Trump-era immigration policies on their events, with growing concern about hotel staffing across the board.
More than two-thirds of respondents (72%) said they expect hotel staffing to be affected in 2025–2026 because of immigration policies. Only 13% foresaw no impact.
'Hotel staffing never fully bounced back after the pandemic. We're still experiencing some gaps in service in certain markets and at certain properties,' said Kyle Jordan, director of meetings at the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences (INFORMS).
Staffing issues are being felt at more than hotels. 'Challenges extend to other key partners like AV providers and vendors that support our meetings,' said Jordan. 'While it's hard to predict the full impact, I would expect that deportation activity could further strain staffing in some destinations.'
Concerns stem not just from general staffing shortages but also the effect of revived immigration enforcement policies.
'The main issue is that for many workers in hotels, while they may be legal immigrants, the feeling toward immigrants in general has turned toxic,' said Mark Phillips, CEO of LamontCo. 'No one wants to live and work in such an environment or put families through it, so over time we will see less available even legal immigrant workforces. It already appears to be happening in several cities.'
ICE Raids and Protests Exacerbate Immigration Issues
In Los Angeles, several days of protests followed large-scale immigration raids by ICE. Protests have spread to other U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C, and New York City.
a'The hospitality industry relies heavily on immigrant labor especially in back-of-house roles like housekeeping, food and beverage service, and maintenance. Stricter immigration enforcement, increased deportations, and general anti-immigration rhetoric have created fear and uncertainty among these workers, not to mention ICE raids, and I-9 audits. This leads some to leave the industry or self-deport, reducing the labor pool, making it even harder for hotels to fill critical positions,' said Robert Kraus, founder of Small Conferences.
Kraus added that there are concerns about the future of the H-2B visa program and similar initiatives. 'There's also a worry that H-2B visas and other temporary worker programs will be curtailed plus general apprehension on potential workers to risk coming to the U.S. just to be told they can't enter or later be sent home only after a short amount of time. This could easily limit the number of foreign workers applying, which is critical for meeting seasonal demands of resorts and other hospitality businesses.'
Labor shortages have already disrupted event logistics.'In several cases, my groups suffered through multi-hour lunch services because the hotel restaurant kitchen could not keep up with demand,' he said.
Legal Compliance Doesn't Eliminate Anxiety
Michael Dominguez, president and CEO of ALHI, argues that deportation is not necessarily a direct impact to hotel staffing. 'It has been required by law for any employee to complete an I-9 form, which verifies legal status and requires documentation,' said Dominguez. 'Any company or hotel not doing that is in violation of Section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1986. Everyone working in a hotel needs documentation, or they are breaking the law.'
Still, legal status does not erase worker anxiety, said Melanie Nathan, human rights advocate and executive director of the African Human Rights Coalition. 'I know people who are perfectly legal and who have filled in those I-9's who are too scared to go to work. They are standing back to try and ride out what they feel like is a storm. Some fear they might get picked up in workplaces where there are likely to be raids.'
Guest Services and Sales Take a Hit
The staffing crunch is also affecting guest experience and hotel revenue.
'Daily housekeeping is no longer a given. There are hotels where it is now every other day or on request,' said Akshar Patel, VP of corporate strategy and development at eShow Event Management Solutions and a hospitality expert.
Beyond guest services, the staffing crunch is slowing business development efforts. 'A staffing shortage on the sales side is delaying RFPs,' said Patel.
Andrea Milrad Heilweil, VP of sales and marketing at The Hutton Group, agrees. 'I have found that since Covid I have to be much more proactive with follow-up. Between people furloughed, laid off, or leaving the industry altogether, RFP responses, requests for contracts, setting up site visits, and general communication have been delayed.'