SKIFT’s exclusive conference survey shows they expect to struggle to cope with the impact of Trump-era immigration policies on their activities and are increasingly concerned about comprehensive hotel staff.
More than two-thirds of respondents (72%) said they expect hotel staff to be affected in 2025-2026 due to immigration policies. Only 13% predicted no impact.
“The staff of hotel staff has never completely rebounded after the pandemic. We are still experiencing some service gaps in some markets and certain properties,” said Kyle Jordan, director of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences.
Not just hotels, people will feel staffing issues. “The challenge extends to other major partners, such as other major partners that support our conference and suppliers,” Jordan said. “While it’s hard to predict the full impact, I hope that deportation activities may further intensify staffing at some destinations.”
Worries stem from not only the shortage of general staffing, but also the impact of revived immigration enforcement policies.
“The main problem is that for many hotel workers, while they may be legal immigrants, the feeling of immigration is generally toxic,” said Lamontco CEO Mark Phillips. “No one wants to live and work in an environment like this or put families in it, so over time we’ll see less availability even with the legal immigrant workforce. It seems to have happened in several cities.”
Ice attacks and protests exacerbate immigration issues
In Los Angeles, mass immigration raids on the ice took place for several days of protests. Protests have spread to other U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and New York City.
“The hospitality industry relies heavily on immigrant labor, especially in internal roles such as housekeeping, food and beverage services and maintenance. More stringent immigration enforcement, increased deportation, and general anti-immigration rhetoric creates fear and uncertainty among these workers. Robert Kraus, founder of the small meeting, said:
Kraus added that there are concerns about the future of the H-2B visa program and the future of similar programs. “There are also concerns that H-2B visas and other temporary workers programs will be restricted, and there is a widespread concern that potential workers will risk going to the U.S. just being told they cannot enter, or that they will be sent home only after a short period of time. This can easily limit the number of applications for foreign workers, which is crucial for seasonal needs for vacation and other hospitality businesses.”
Labor shortages have damaged the logistical of the incident. “In some cases, my group suffered from multiple hours of lunch service because the kitchen in the hotel restaurant couldn’t meet the demand,” he said.
Legal compliance won’t eliminate anxiety
Alhi President and CEO Michael Dominguez believes that deportation does not necessarily have to have a direct impact on hotel staff. “The law requires any employee to fill out Form I-9, which verifies legal status and requires documents,” Dominguez said. “Any company or hotel that does not do so violates Section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1986. Everyone working in a hotel needs documents, or they are violating the law.”
Melanie Nathan, a human rights advocate and executive director of the African Human Rights Coalition, said that despite this, legal status has not eliminated workers’ anxiety. “I know people who are totally legal and fill those I-9s, they’re too scared to go to work. They’re taking a step back and trying to get rid of their feelings is a storm. Some people are worried that they might be picked up in a workplace where there could be a raid.”
Guest service and sales are hit
Staff tightening can also affect guest experience and hotel revenue.
“Daily housekeeping is no longer a given,” said Akshar Patel, vice president of corporate strategy and development for Eshow event management solutions and hotel experts.
In addition to guest service, staffing tightening is slowing down business development efforts. “The shortage of staff in sales is delaying RFP,” Patel said.
Andrea Milrad Heilweil, vice president of sales and marketing at Hutton Group, agreed. “I found that since Covid, I have to be more active in follow-up. Between people being laid off, fired or leaving the industry altogether, RFP responses, contract requests, setup access and general communication have been delayed.”
